United Utilities unmeasured water charges Help!

Jayhay

Hi everyone,

Apologies if this has been asked before, I did try and trawl the board for an answer first!

I'm living in a rented flat on a short term contract which runs out in Jan. I set up the water account in my name when I moved in but couldnt find my water meter. I rang the UU anyway who told me not to worry as my landlord had provided them with a reading the day before I moved in...

I asked my landlord where the meter was just so I could take readings myself and he told me the caretaker had to read it. Despite phonecalls requesting and asking to be able to access the meter myself (i had to go through a management company as I'm at work when the caretaker comes) I only received an electricity meter reading poked under the door.

So my monthly bill is just shy of £60 a month which I thought was quite steep (figured it was estimated as hadn't given a reading since moving in despite my efforts!) but it was only when I mentioned it to someone they told me that was ridiculous considering it's a 2 bed flat, I'm here on my own and spend half the week away.

The guidelines on UU website say a single person should be spending £255 a year but my rate comes out to around £700. I rang them asking what was going on only to be told that this flat isn't on a meter and the rate is set by the council based on the property... or something along those lines.. and I should have a water meter fitted. I'm moving out next month anyway so it's too late for the water meter.

Is there anything I can do regarding the money I've paid already? On the website a detatched house is only estimated to use £480 a year so how can they justify this for a 2 bed flat?!

Any advice gratefully received!

Gothicfairy

No meter...no option now

There is no chance of getting anything back as the RV is a valid rate of charge and stands legally, you were mislead but that is nothing to do with the water company as they would have told you the rate of charge had you asked.

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

Your water charges are based on the Rateable Value(RV) of your flat. The RV was the method used prior to 1990 to assess 'local taxes' - now Council Tax. It wasn't based on the value of the property but a notional rental value and could have been set as long ago as 1973. The important point is that the water companies have no option(by law) but to use that RV as the basis for your water charges - unless you have a meter(or had applied for a meter and it couldn't be fitted).

As said above there is no mechanism to change that RV, so I am afraid that there is nothing you can do to reduce your bill or get a refund.

Jayhay

Cheers for the info guys, appreciate it. Lesson learnt!!

he1pfu1

There is a strong likelihood that you are paying the RV for the entire building not your flat.

Your landlord may be being disingenuous because he hasn't registered the split in the property to avoid infrastructure and other charges.

I would contact UU again and ask them to check the status of the account and whether it is for the flat or the whole building.

Gothicfairy

he1pfu1 wrote: »

There is a strong likelihood that you are paying the RV for the entire building not your flat.

Your landlord may be being disingenuous because he hasn't registered the split in the property to avoid infrastructure and other charges.

I would contact UU again and ask them to check the status of the account and whether it is for the flat or the whole building.

You can check yourself at https://www.voa.gov.uk but it will not make any difference as you have moved out now and they will not change the rate of the property going back.
They might look into it for the new tenants but your bill will stand.

lawfulhippo

Flats often do have very high RVs compared to their size, in my experience. I'm personally too young to know why, but I'm reliably informed that flats were quite fashionable in the 70s and 80s, thus they had higher rental values and therefore higher RVs.

Gothicfairy

You are right . People wanted new build flats as they were thought posh and modern so you could return more for rental then some boring old 2 up 2 down with an open fire and outside bog.

he1pfu1

I would still try UU. The situation is not uncommon and I can't see how they could stand up to a reasonable complaint. Don't rant, state the facts, query theirs.

First step is to ascertain if the RV is for the whole building or the flat, if it's the flat than you are stuffed, if it's the whole building I suggest you write in with the details and ask for an assessed charge for the period.

UU can then chase the landlord if you give them details.

If you don't get a reasonable response go to CCW, but only after you have tried UU (as they will tell you to do this first anyway)

Gothicfairy

he1pfu1 wrote: »

I would still try UU. The situation is not uncommon and I can't see how they could stand up to a reasonable complaint. Don't rant, state the facts, query theirs.

First step is to ascertain if the RV is for the whole building or the flat, if it's the flat than you are stuffed, if it's the whole building I suggest you write in with the details and ask for an assessed charge for the period.

UU can then chase the landlord if you give them details.

If you don't get a reasonable response go to CCW, but only after you have tried UU (as they will tell you to do this first anyway)

I am sorry but this is a load of old tosh..Assessed can only be applied once a meter has been applied ( or forced ie sub alt) and unable to be fitted. Assessed is not a tariff you can be placed on after the fact.

UU will not chase the landlord at all as they have a tenant with a tenancy agreement who legally used the supply and anything else is a 3rd party dispute.
The consumer council for water will not help as there is no complaint other then about and to the landlord.
The water company billed on the rate of charge they had and to the person they had.......nothing more.
I know you are trying to help but there is no point giving someone false hope based on something that just is not going to happen.

The water company is never going to apply assessed after the fact as that leaves them open to all sorts of problems and issues and they are never going to take the account out of the tenants name and stick the landlord down ( based on the facts given) as again that leads to a whole can of worms no one wants to open.

OFWAT and the CCW back what the water company have done as they have in this case done nothing wrong.

Cardew

I tend to agree with the post above that UU won't get involved in a third party dispute, but each flat should have a separate meter and account.

If you can ascertain that your bill was based on the only meter in the building i.e. you were paying for the other flat(s) water, then you should contact the Landlord and claim a refund.

If he won't pay take civil action in the Small Claims Court and report the Landlord to the water company.