Almost theft ???

tommytynan123

I am aware of the ruling about backdating refund claims based on no surface water drainage.(Private rent and had no idea about tariffs until my 2012/13 bill arrived with a 9% increase)

Indeed when I first posted some weeks back one of the kind posters told me to ensure my claim for 2011/12 was logged during 2011/12 for refund purposes. Thanks. That was done and SWW were very helpful and have adjusted my bill for 2011/12 and reissued the 2012/13 bill incorporating 2 years difference. Saved me about £25 per month.:)

BUT - in my case we live down an unadopted lane which is a dead end. Total of 9 houses. I've spoken to 4 neighbours who have claimed the lower rate for years. Surely if those houses are 'flagged' as ''no surface drainage'' do SWW have a duty to mention it to the other houses who do not / did not have the reduction. Surely a simple computer job that should spit out houses in this situation for verification.

Its almost theft because in effect they knew - didn't they ???

Cardew

'Theft' implies the water company have something to gain by charging you; and that simply isn't the case.

The financing of water companies is regulated by ofwat and they are allowed to raise £xxmillion in charges and make £yymillion profit. So if you and, say, 100,000 other customers were exempt from SWD charges, they would simply be allowed to raise other charges a little to compensate.

The Government in the Water Privatisation bill(stupidly) mandated that the default position would be to charge for SWD and customers would have to claim exemption.

It is not really practical for the companies to carry out an in-depth examination of 20 million properties to determine if they should be charged or not for SWD. Your account and those of your neighbours are simply loads of digits on a computer - there is no human involvement.

The whole subject of SWD charges is a disgrace. The companies and ofwat were given 10 years from 1990 to sort out a better system - and failed. So an ammendment was passed that allowed them to continue this stupid charge.

ChiefGrasscutter

I see the OP's point - but that is not how the world works anywhere

I can equally say that Tesco's/M&S/B&Q whoever have been selling some product variation cheaper but didn't personally notify me that I could get it cheaper.
Or that savings accounts and insurance are charging you more and they don't notify you that you can get it cheaper by changing something.
Or the local council whatever informing you that you can get some allowance.

In the end it's going to be those interested enough or bothered enough or with enough impetus to get up and go and find out the information which enables them to save in some way: and with the interent it is many hundreds of times easier to do this now than say in the 1980's.
No one anywhere is going to give you savings for free - you have to put the effort in.