check your bills if you've recently moved!

vicki98_2

Hi guys,

thought i'd post a little warning based on my recent experience with United Utilities.

Basically, we pay the water bill monthly, and when we moved house in Feb we contacted United Utilities to inform them of new address and so to keep paying everything using the payment card. At the time we were in arrears by about £40 so were told to pay an extra £5 than normal each month to allow us to clear it and continue paying for water at new house.

We did this but had a few confusing and contradictory letters saying we were still in arrears or had not made a payment since January (we had the receipts to say we had). All of these letters referred to the old address but were sent to the new one.

Another came this morning threatening legal action for the full amount due unless we pay off the £43 owed (which we thought had been paid).

Anyway, I contacted them this morning and was told there had been a problem with the system and because of our move, we were billed twice (one for new house and one for old) hence the arrears being on their system when in fact we were completely up to date. This, they told me, has now been rectified and all bills shouls now refer to same address and will not be duplicated.

Just wanted to let people know who may have had a similar experience, but just in case this hasn't been sorted out on their system - remember to keep hold of all payment receipts and check you bills are for the right place at the right time!!

crossleydd42

A house I one moved into was two rows of 8 facing each other with a path between them and two blocks of garages at the end of the row. Some six months through the first year, after returning from holiday, someone in an adjacent road with the same name apart from ending in Grove rather that Close came around and gave us an opened envelope containing a final demand and notification of court action for a small amount. He pointed out that the notice was in a window envelope too big which caused the contents to move about, hiding the addressee. He'd reasonably assumed it was for him! The court action was only two days hence! I was furious. Basically, the council had created a libel situation. They seemed unconcerned until I insisted on seeing the Council Treasurer. He spent an uncomfortable 20 mins in my presence, then admitted that his council recorded the house and garage separately on their computer. They had credited ALL the payments to the house and the nothing to the garage. Total incompetence in not checking both entries. I actually got £50 compensation from them after threatening to go to a solicitor. Not often this happens.