GRRRR - South staffs Water haven't taken their DD

sammey90

i checked my bank statements against my budget spreadsheet earlier, and realised that South Staffs Water haven't taken their payment for January or December. I looked carefully right back to the middle of November (this is all online) and can't find any reason on my side for it - the account wasn't overdrawn, the DD hasn't been cancelled or refused.

they did this to me ages ago, in my old house, but only one month was missing by the time i realised then. I phoned them, and even though they said it was their fault, they demanded that I pay it straight away. Of course, being even worse with money then, there was no way on earth I could do that. I eventually got then to agree to split it over the next two months.

But what do I do now? there's two months missing, and things are so tight that I can't afford double payments for the next two months, even if they agreed to that. How can they let this happen? - if I had stopped paying, they'd be on my back immediately. I have DDs set up BECAUSE I'm pants with money and forget things.

I know I can't ignore it, but if i phone them, they'll want me to pay it straight away. Please someone tell me something that'll stop me worrying.

sammey90

anyone got any advice?

dancingfairy

I always thought water was paid over 8 or 10 months? Are you on a 12 month plan or is this your spare months?
Hopefully they will let you spread the payments again if there are any problems.
df

sammey90

i assumed they were over 12 months, don't remember them saying anything about 10 months.

But then, that wouldn't fit, because Dec / Jan would be months 3 and 4 - I moved here in October.

dancingfairy

Maybe you need to bite the bullet and phone them? At least then you'd know where you stand. When do you think you could catch up the payments if you needed to? Maybe have a plan if your head so you don't end up overcommitting yourself on the phone when they ask?
IF it is their mistake them maybe you will have more leeway to make the payments up - but find out first what the situation is - if needbe you can always write and complain to their head office if you don't think they are treating you fairly but first you need to get to the bottom of if they have made a mistake and why they keep making mistakes if this has happened before to you.
df

sammey90

Will phone them tomorrow, hope they don't expect me to roll over and pay it all at once

sammey90

Success!! Hooray!!! YAY!!! :j

I just phoned South Staffs Water, to find out why their DD hadn't gone out.

Turns out, when I signed up to DD, i signed up for the 8 month plan!! So, in addition to no extra debt, I have two more months of no water bill!!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Sorry, very relieved and excited!!)

dancingfairy

That's brilliant - what a relief. Maybe you should treat yourself to something small ie a magazine or something and then you can plan what to do with the spare money for the next 2 months - which debt is first up for the chop?
df

immoral_angeluk

Hey Sammey, I live just down the road from you in Penkridge and am also with South Staffs water. Their default payment scheme is 8 months, but you can have it extended to 12 if you like. The last payment would've been in October/November and then it starts again in March/April when your new bill comes in.

Edit: just saw your last post, glad you feel better about it now!

sammey90

Hi - Thanks!

The woman at SSW said the longest they do is 10 months, so that's what I'm signed up to for next year - probably a good job, water rates are going up!

The first debt to go will be Tax Credits, the last payment for that one is March - so I'll be £150 better off then - can't wait! I will use the extra £96 to chop some of the evil Capital One out of the picture!

immoral_angeluk

sammey90 wrote: »

Hi - Thanks!

The woman at SSW said the longest they do is 10 months, so that's what I'm signed up to for next year - probably a good job, water rates are going up!

The first debt to go will be Tax Credits, the last payment for that one is March - so I'll be £150 better off then - can't wait! I will use the extra £96 to chop some of the evil Capital One out of the picture!

Really? They're doing mine over 12 as I'm a single mum! lol