Surface Water Drainage - Soakaway?

broxbourne

Hi All,
Has anyone else had problems getting overpayments back from the water board (Thames Water)??
If you have a soakaway for rainwater from your roof you do not have to pay the 'Surface Water Charge' on your water bill!!
-LOOK AT THE BACK TOP RIGHT HAND SIDE OF YOUR BILL-
We do not now pay this charge and requested they reimburse all our overpayment but Thames Water will only pay back 'two bills worth' of charges, although we have overpaid since we bought the house ! ~
Has anyone else managed to claim back more of their overcharge? and How did you go about it!? Many Thanks

gringo50

I'm in a similar position to you.
I only discovered that we have a soakway last month and i phoned them they said they would look into it,
I got a letter back last friday with £17.50 credit off my bill.
I asked them on the phone why haven't you given me all the over payments i've paid you, the answer was we dont have too.
They owe me six years backdated at £35 a year that covers my bill plus more this period (every 6 mths on meter).
So next week im calling them up after they have received my letter which states the following.
I refuse to pay this £118 bill until you backdate my sewerage standing charge to 2001 (the date i moved in)
This equals £210.
If you write this bill off i will write the remainder of what you owe me so we will be even.
I will never pay this bill so you can take me to court and i will enter a general denial to the clerk and that will cost you £1000 to pursue.
Then if you persist with this obsurd non refund i will leave it to the Judge to decide.
Thats the way im going and i will keep you informed.
I would just like to add i live in a block of 12 and even though i've got my rebate without proving it to them the other 11 are not aware and have not had a rebate so its not like thames water dont know and when if it comes to court (i'm hoping it will) i think the judge will find in my favour.
By the way a general denial is denying you owe what a company says.
I've already done it once against NPower for £330 (thats another story) and im going to do it with Thames water.
I will keep you informed and i very much doubt court action.

Cardew

The question of surface water drainage has been covered lots of times:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=192960

I understand lots of people have tried, and failed, to get their refunded charges backdated; the regulator has also been involved.

I think we all would agree that the way these charges have been made has been a disgrace; and morally everyone is entitled to have previous years charges rebated.

The companies will argue that the under the water deregulation bill the default position was that surface water drained into sewers; even though that has not been allowed for many years except in exceptional cases. To be fair if it was the other way around, a customer would be hardly likely to volunteer the fact that his water did drain into a sewer, and an inspection of every property in the land would be a massive undertaking; especially with the 'reluctance' of some customers to let them carry out that inspection.

They will further argue that their charges are fixed by the Regualtor. Had they not got this revenue from surface water drainage, they would have had permission to increase their other charges(water & sewerage) to compensate.

I suspect they might cave in for your individual case; but if it goes to court they will fight this case so as not to set a precedent. By the way I am no lawyer but isn't 'general denial' for an outstanding debt? not something you have paid. Linking your current(legitimate) water charges to the disputed charge might not be the correct way??

Incidentally this thread is interesting:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=381269

Thames Water are claiming back charges for 6 years - 'Whats good for the Goose etc'

I wish you luck - let us know how you get on.

gringo50

Hi just an update:
I rang the waterboard today and asked if they had received my letter and they said yes and that it was in the hands of their legal team.
Im happy about this as they will at least know about the general denial and the costs in pursuing me and the possibility that they may well lose the case would also have them worried.
That thread you pointed me to Cardew was very interesting thank you for that.

Cardew

gringo50 wrote:

Hi just an update:
I rang the waterboard today and asked if they had received my letter and they said yes and that it was in the hands of their legal team.
Im happy about this as they will at least know about the general denial and the costs in pursuing me and the possibility that they may well lose the case would also have them worried.
That thread you pointed me to Cardew was very interesting thank you for that.

Keep us informed please of future developments.

If you win your case, even if they deide to 'quietly' cave in, it could set a precedent for a lot of people.

Make sure you get the money first!!!

marie_hc

Hi Cardew and Gringo 50

How did you find out you were on a soakaway?

If I ring and talk to the same dipstick, I don't trust that they would tell me the truth:mad:

Some one suggested that I just apply for the reduction saying I'm on a soakaway:j and they would check first:rolleyes: is that right?

Cardew

marie_hc wrote:

Hi Cardew and Gringo 50

How did you find out you were on a soakaway?

If I ring and talk to the same dipstick, I don't trust that they would tell me the truth:mad:

Some one suggested that I just apply for the reduction saying I'm on a soakaway:j and they would check first:rolleyes: is that right?

Thats what I suggested.

If your house is less than 20 years old it almost certainly has a soakaway. So just ring them and say your 'uncle' checked it out. They might check, they might not.

If you can find a manhole(forgive me if that sounds sexist in these PC days - but the feminine alternative is too dreadful to contemplate) that is 'downstream' from your property you can run a hose on your gutters and see if the water runs into the sewer.

marie_hc

Thanks Cardew

This house wa built in 1989, the previous owners bought from new I believe in the October.

What would be the clincher I think is if I could find out exactly when the building regs were change that house had to have a soakaway.

I think that's going to be more difficult as people forget these things.

I will so my best with the water board, but I'm not very good if I have to confront people I tend to back down.

gringo50

Well its been a while and my new water bill has arrived.
I have heard nothing from the legal department about the £118 from my last bill and they have now carried it forward so i now owe them £264.
I have rung them and stated yet again that i will not be paying this £118 but they didn't really seem that interested, i suppose they will just keep carrying it forward to the next bill rather than try to get it back from me.