Water Usage

alanrp123

My elderly mother (86yrs) pays her water bill monthly, and has been paying 18 pounds per month, plus an end of the year bill.
She lives in a small 2 bed council owned bungalow.
Her next door neighbours are a young couple with 1 10yr old son, they have a bath, mother only has a shower.
They pay 17 pounds per month only, that means 3 times as many persons and less to pay each month.
The bungalows are identical, and I know full well that my mother does not use the same quantity of water.
I have been in contact with Anglian Water, who were no help at all, they wanted her to pay for someone to come out and check her system.
Then they have the nerve to increase the bill to 20 pounds per month, as from next month.
Any advice on how to resolve this will be greatly appreciated.

deanos

I presume she is on a meter ?

Firstly i would check for leaks on the supply , secondly are the neighbours on a meter , how come you know so much about there consumption/cost ?

Ken68

I can't believe Anglian Water were of no help.
They have always been very courteous to me, another oldie, and would have almost certainly mentioned the SOLOW tariff.
If your mother's water supply is on a meter, you need to check and and record eac h week. and of course check for leaks, and taps left running.

alanrp123

My mum is very friendly with the young couple who live next door, and they told her how much they were paying.
I did notice that the pipe in which the meter was fitted was full of water, and mentioned it to Anglian, but they were of no help.
I first started to check into this a few months ago and during this time next doors bill has not increased.
I fail to see how an old lady of 86, who spends nearly all her time sitting in her chair can use more water than a 3 person family who live in an identical dwelling.

deanos

Water in the atplas is ok its more than likely rainwater from the lid and the seals often go on them from opening them so often.

Have you checked for a leak ?

Are the neighbours paying on a meter ? , personally i would take with a pinch of salt how much they are paying unless they have showed you there bills.

hazeyj

There is obviously a prob here..you could try http://www.ccwater.org.uk for advice.

Ken68

hazeyj wrote:

There is obviously a prob here..you could try http://www.ccwater.org.uk for advice.

Another Quango, Hazey, who do you think is picking up the tab for their wages!!
The water companies have complaints departments, let them deal with complaints.

deanos

Just been thinking and you say its a council bungalow, alot of the older ones have joint supply so i would ask the neighbours to turn on there water while you look at the meter to see if its spinning this is of course if its an external meter.

hazeyj

Ken68 wrote:

Another Quango, Hazey, who do you think is picking up the tab for their wages!!
The water companies have complaints departments, let them deal with complaints.

The website I mentioned is there if you unhappy with the way your initial complaint has been dealt with. ..are you being rude to me? I can work it out?

Ken68

Sorry about that Hazy...am a grumpy old man, but it gets me to see such waste. They are doing the same job as the complaints dept of the Water companies, and of OFWAT. 12 people on each regional committee, 8 regions with offices and staff and probably a head office somewhere.It must be costing a fortune.Featherbedding of the worst kind.

hazeyj

Ken68 wrote:

Sorry about that Hazy...am a grumpy old man, but it gets me to see such waste. They are doing the same job as the complaints dept of the Water companies, and of OFWAT. 12 people on each regional committee, 8 regions with offices and staff and probably a head office somewhere.It must be costing a fortune.Featherbedding of the worst kind.

thats okay chucky egg.