Southern water - massive meter reading!

Fidge_2

Cardew wrote: »

They have no option under the Water Privatisation Act but to charge everyone for SWD and the occupant must claim relief. It is THE LAW!!! All flats for example in a 30 storey block must pay if no soakaway.

Obviously it is a stupid law and the whole business of SWD is a mess.

The other thing that you don't seem to appreciate is that it doesn't matter to the water companies if people are charged for SWD or not.

The companies are allowed by the Regulator(ofwat) to raise £xxxmillion in revenue and make £yymillion profit and that is strictly enforced. If they collect, say, £1million less in SWD charges, they simply raise other charges by £1million to compensate.

The other point is that there are some 20 million dwellings in UK. Many owners don't know if they are liable for SWD and neither do the companies, and it is time consuming to find out the position. Are you suggesting that all 20 million properties should be inspected by the water companies - and how much would it cost.

All accounts are dealt with by 'The Computer'. Taking the point about your estate, do you expect the computer to realise that all houses on 'Tulip Avenue' are on the same estate as those on 'Primrose Drive'; and what about the other pre-war houses on those roads?

Yes it's a law I disagree with especially if I claim a rebate as not using that service and I have to prove I'm not using that service that's like saying your window cleaner company charges you for cleaning your windows regularly, you claim that they havent but will continue to pay until you have proved otherwise. I'm glad you wrote what you did about profits and raising lost swd via other means, something for everyone to think about, including yourself!

Cardew

Fidge wrote: »

Yes it's a law I disagree with especially if I claim a rebate as not using that service and I have to prove I'm not using that service that's like saying your window cleaner company charges you for cleaning your windows regularly, you claim that they havent but will continue to pay until you have proved otherwise. I'm glad you wrote what you did about profits and raising lost swd via other means, something for everyone to think about, including yourself!

I completely agree with you that the law is stupid; as most people have no idea if they have a soakaway or not. There are so many anomalies; as stated above, all flats in a 30 storey block having to pay the SWD charge despite there being only one roof, is but one example.

To make matters worse the amounts charged for SWD vary from company to company.

In fact the Water Privatisation Act originally gave the companies 10 years to sort out a better solution(from 1990) but that provision was dropped and the Act was amended.

It is not quite true that you have to prove you have a soakaway. Just make a claim and mark on the sketch where you have been told(;)) the soakaway is situated. The water company will then have to investigate and give reasons why the claim is not allowed. In many cases they will just use Google Earth and if there are other similar houses nearby they will just allow the claim.

I'm glad you wrote what you did about profits and raising lost swd via other means, something for everyone to think about, including yourself!

I really don't need that advice! If you care to read back over the last few years on MSE you will see I have been Campaigning about the stupidities of the Water Privatisation Act. I have written to my MP and ofwat on the subject.

Indeed another of the stupidities is not making meters mandatory for all households - which was the intent in the Act; and charging on RV was to be phased out. Why shouldn't everyone pay for the water they use, instead of allowing some people to use as much water as they wish and pay low charges based on a notional rental value of their property in 1973 - i.e. the defunct Rateable Value(RV).

However as you presumably gain from that provision, and hence your objection to a meter, you want to 'cherry pick' the parts that suit and get outraged about the parts that don't suit.

giraffe69

I pity you if this is your way of life

Pity is more due to someone who thinks a water meter infringes his "human rights"

emsywoo123

rachey2711 wrote: »

Morning all,

Wonder if anyone can help....

Yesterday we received our 6 month bill & statement from Southern Water.

They seem to think that between myself and my husband we have managed to use 110 cu/m in 6 months. We both work full time so the property is empty during the week.

I have checked the meter reading & serial number against the bill and they are both correct. Our last 6 month statement has a consumption of 71 cu/m - high, but we did have a friend staying for most of this time. Before that our usage was between 40 - 60 cu/m per 6 months.

I cannot fathom how they think we have used this amount!!! It equates to around 589 liters of water per day - over half a ton!!! I have six taps in our two bedroom flat - these would need to be running pretty much constantly to use this!!!

I took a reading this morning before work, and will take one when I get home to rule our a leak.

Southern water have been their usually un-helpful selves and said that there is no way the reading could be wrong. Un-heard of apparently.

To top if off, this is not the first time it has happened. 3 yrs ago our usage went from 42 cu/m in 6 months to 117cu/m the next 6 months. They refused to help me then - and to be honest I totally forgot about it until it was too late. (I know, I know, that is terrible, but three years ago I had more important things to be worried about) I let them get away with it then - they are NOT getting away with it this time. #

Advice?!?!?!?!?!??!!

HELP!!!!!! What do I do!! Who can help me?!?!?

OP did you get anywhere with this? I have just had a huge bill as well, 95 cu/m for 5 months.

I have done all the tests too and cannot find a leak.

Cardew

emsywoo123 wrote: »

OP did you get anywhere with this? I have just had a huge bill as well, 95 cu/m for 5 months.

I have done all the tests too and cannot find a leak.

Is either the start or end meter reading estimated? - denoted by an (E).

How many people in the property?

95 cubic metres in 5 months would be average consumption for 4 people.

emsywoo123

Cardew wrote: »

Is either the start or end meter reading estimated? - denoted by an (E).

How many people in the property?

95 cubic metres in 5 months would be average consumption for 4 people.

Yes, the December reading was an estimate. We are one adult, one tweenage and a toddler!

Cardew

emsywoo123 wrote: »

Yes, the December reading was an estimate. We are one adult, one tweenage and a toddler!

Then the possibility/probability is that the December reading was an under-estimate and this is a 'catch-up' bill.

Fidge_2

Cardew wrote: »

I completely agree with you that the law is stupid; as most people have no idea if they have a soakaway or not. There are so many anomalies; as stated above, all flats in a 30 storey block having to pay the SWD charge despite there being only one roof, is but one example.

To make matters worse the amounts charged for SWD vary from company to company.

In fact the Water Privatisation Act originally gave the companies 10 years to sort out a better solution(from 1990) but that provision was dropped and the Act was amended.

It is not quite true that you have to prove you have a soakaway. Just make a claim and mark on the sketch where you have been told(;)) the soakaway is situated. The water company will then have to investigate and give reasons why the claim is not allowed. In many cases they will just use Google Earth and if there are other similar houses nearby they will just allow the claim.


I really don't need that advice! If you care to read back over the last few years on MSE you will see I have been Campaigning about the stupidities of the Water Privatisation Act. I have written to my MP and ofwat on the subject.

Indeed another of the stupidities is not making meters mandatory for all households - which was the intent in the Act; and charging on RV was to be phased out. Why shouldn't everyone pay for the water they use, instead of allowing some people to use as much water as they wish and pay low charges based on a notional rental value of their property in 1973 - i.e. the defunct Rateable Value(RV).

However as you presumably gain from that provision, and hence your objection to a meter, you want to 'cherry pick' the parts that suit and get outraged about the parts that don't suit.

They told me on the phone I had to prove my swd was not entering a public sewer this is especially difficult where so many ex council estates had their own sewers built for surface water drainage and people are wrongly thinking they should be paying swd charges.

To top it off my neighbour has just had a rebate for swd charges and I still have not until they investigate "as a special case" lol

I think it's about time we had a choice of supplier for water as we do electric and gas, it's a sure thing that one these meters have been quickly rushed in to ensure when a new supplier is introduced SW own them and can charge a standing charge. :mad:

Fidge_2

giraffe69 wrote: »

Pity is more due to someone who thinks a water meter infringes his "human rights"

Look into it and learn something!?

crrussell

fidge you really need to grow up how on earth is having a water meter and paying for the water that you use against your human rights i have said on other posts if you dont agree with the charges that water companies charge dis connect from them cap your supply dispose of your own sewerage and buy the clean water from tesco.

water meters are being installed so they can then give you the choice of supplier as on the rv and nv system the price is fixed so no matter who you set your acc with the bill would be the same so there would be no point in giving you the choice of supplier it would only cause more problems for example if you lived in thames area but chose yorkshire water and you had a leak out side your address you would contact yorkshire water who would need to inspect and then if the leak was not theres they would pass that on to thames water who inturn woould need to check that it was there pipe and not southern waters pipe for your neighbour as there is no national network like there is for gas and electric yet and that issue is still being debated as to who would be liable for repairs and maintaining pipe work.