underfloor heating bill

sophiehb

I live in a new build flat. A central hot water source feeds our under floor heating and provides us with hot water for sinks, shower, etc. We get cold water and sanitation bills from Thames Water and electricity bills from First:Utility. We don't use gas.

We moved in in 2009 and were told to expect a hot water bill from the management company (Pembertons) in April 2010. It never came and I chased Pembertons on a few occasions. Some of my neighbours have done the same and we were told the bills were delayed due to a billing error (an extra zero was added to the amount due).

Now, nearly two years later we still haven't received our bill and have been told to expect one in the coming few weeks (though I'm not holding my breath). I'm feeling apprehensive about receiving the bill as I have been told by some that they received a bill for over £1000 two years after they moved in.

What are our rights? Does the Billing Code apply here or is that just for utilities companies that signed up to it?

Any advice you can give would be massively appreciated. I'd like to know our position before the bill arrives.

Thank you.

macman

Back billing would not apply to water anyway-only gas/electricity.
Presumably there is no way of metering the hot water usage on individual properties, so surely there is some kind of predetermined system for charging for this? It's effectively part of your service charge. What does your leasehold service contract say?
It doesn't take 18m to recalculate a bill!

bobthedambuilder

TBH, I would have thought that £500 p.a. for heating and hot water is quite reasonable.

I sincerely hope that you have been putting money aside for a bill which you knew from the start was coming.

jen34

I live in an apartment block that has underfloor heating and it has took my housing association 3 years to bill us. My bill is £1800 may sound ok to some but when you only have electricity and your bills are higher winter on that the heating got to be using electricity also. My bill is £1100 in standing charges heating £500 and £200 hot/cold water. Cost me less to use a gas boiler in my old adress. We are looking to see what our rights are as 80p per day is paid as service charge. I have 1 neighbour who has never had her heating on but still got a bill well over £1500.

Cardew

jen34 wrote: »

I live in an apartment block that has underfloor heating and it has took my housing association 3 years to bill us. My bill is £1800 may sound ok to some but when you only have electricity and your bills are higher winter on that the heating got to be using electricity also. My bill is £1100 in standing charges heating £500 and £200 hot/cold water. Cost me less to use a gas boiler in my old adress. We are looking to see what our rights are as 80p per day is paid as service charge. I have 1 neighbour who has never had her heating on but still got a bill well over £1500.

What do you think should happen? - bills waived?

jen34

What do you think should happen? - bills waived?

We think that we should be refunded some of the charges back as we were not told the way the billing system for water and heating worked when we moved in. Private blocks are billed different to us. The housing association buy the water from the maintenance company who buy water etc from the water board. They add there own bits on top, but as far as we are concerned they have took so long to bill us how can they charge 80p per day service charge when we have not had any bills sent out. Also a different housing association but part of the same group is being charged about 44p per day so how do they work that one out?? We are sending a complaint to housing and if that doesnt get anywhere we will take it further.