What happens if you don't pay your water bill?

rbulph

Nothing apparently. Or that's what this article suggests - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5050048.stm.
The article also says that those who do pay are paying an extra £10 per year to subsidise those who don't pay. But maybe it's more - if 15% don't pay that means that 15% of what the rest of us pay is to cover the non-payers, so about £30/year on a £200/year bill. That's not on.

So what's to stop me from deciding I'd rather not pay too? Will the water company sue me? It sounds as if they wouldn't, otherwise how do these 15% of people manage to get away with it for so long? If the bailiffs were knocking on their doors, they'd be paying.

I'm sure that if everyone was to now refuse to pay, the situation would be resolved in no time, and we'd all see a healthy and fair reduction in our bills. I'm certainly tempted to do so. What do you think?

lipidicman

I heard this and thought the same. There is certainly a case for refusing to pay the EXTRA.

The best solution would be to change the rules and allow water companies to cut off the water to non-payers. A solution might be to allow them to cut off the in-house supply and fit an external standpipe to shame these people into paying! I believe they also want to be able to fit trickle valves to allow for health and hygeine but not power showers!

Jet

I know someone who once boasted to me that she hadn't paid her water bill for 3 years! Her excuse? Being a single Mum on income support.

Fine you may think but this is the same woman who has at least one foreign holiday per year, spends £600 each on her kids at xmas and used to go out partying every weekend.

Let's just say she worked cash in hand and had generous parents.

tim_n

next year they'll get the full amount minus that £10. It's not my problem they have bad debters.

iwanttosave_2

We recive bills here for the last person who lived here and at last meansure with charges on top they owed £4,500 each had a threat of bailiffs blah blah blah.

I havent had any knocking at my door yet

mountainofdebt

can't cut you off for non-payment.....all to do with the Water Act apparently

lipidicman

mountainofdebt wrote:

can't cut you off for non-payment.....all to do with the Water Act apparently

Yep, and this is what the MP's want to change. IMO they need to change it. People's attitude to water use in this country is disgusting (both in terms of using too much and not wanting to pay for it). We need compulsory water meters and 'compulsory bills'

alanobrien

lipidicman wrote:

People's attitude to water use in this country is disgusting (both in terms of using too much and not wanting to pay for it). We need compulsory water meters and 'compulsory bills'

I am sure your right but attitude is influenced by the greed of the water companies taking the money without investing in infrastructure. The only reason we have a drought in the South East is because of a lack of reservoirs, leaky pipes and a ridiculous policy of building as many houses as possible per square inch of land.

lipidicman

alanobrien wrote:

I am sure your right but attitude is influenced by the greed of the water companies taking the money without investing in infrastructure. The only reason we have a drought in the South East is because of a lack of reservoirs, leaky pipes and a ridiculous policy of building as many houses as possible per square inch of land.

There is little you can do about the fact that so many people want to live in the south-east (well what you could do is decide to move somewhere else: every little 'elps ).

On the leakages problem I am sure that the many people who come up with this explanation know little of the practicalities and costs of chasing these leaks. I can just hear the complaints about the water companies tearing up the roads now. It is too often used by people as an excuse for not taking an interest in curbing their wasteful ways

starlite_2

We waited 3 years for a bill from thames water..goddam them..and had to pay it all in one go when they finally got their act together.

ad no we can't help people wanting to move to the south east, but something could be done about the governments plan to build 100'000 new homes here in the next couple of years..silly plan!

lapat

there is a loophole to the cant turn you off scenario so dont think they will get away from it forever.

the water comapny sends a represenative to the property as they have no one listed as a bill payer at the property they are entitled to turn off the supply to the property.so there inspector etc turns of the supply at the boundary.

they then knock on the door and if there is someone in they recover there details explaining that the property is supposed to be empty you will find 10/10 will give there details when they are confronted with there water being turned off

if there is no one home the supply is left of and a form put through the door telling them what to do when they move into the property.there usually on the phone the same day giving there details for billing purposes.however there water usally isnt turned on until two days later

water companys are finding this a great success to find out who should be paying the bill.and they are prosecuting more an more people once they find out there details and they can also back bill legally for six years.

so they are coming after the non payers so beware