Severn Trent water meter - paying commercial drainage???

Pookypie

Hi

I recently moved into a property which used to be one big commercial property and has just been converted into two residential ones. I moved in on April 1st and have had trouble getting deliveries and bills paid because the building was still registered as one commercial building instead of two residential with everyone. I have changed it now and just got my first council tax bill etc. And my water bill, which is on a meter. I've never used a meter before and as I suspected, I will be paying twice as much as before.

Anyway, on my water bill its says I'm being charged for measured drainage on band 05 com. Does that mean commercial? Its this bit that makes the bill so expensive mostly.

My neighbor living in the other half of the building is having this trouble too. He has rang Servern Trent and they wont change it to residential. Which means we are both paying the drainage for one big commercial site, which means Severn Trent are getting two payments? Is there anything I can do about this?

Severn Trent told me when I called them in April that they would send someone round the evaluate the property. No one has been except to read the meter.

I'm confused lol

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.


Contact the Consumer Council for Water

Pookypie

Thanks Cardew, I'll look them up and ring them.

Gothicfairy

You don't need to contact them yet and to be honest you HAVE to go through the complaint process with the water company BEFORE they will take on your case anyway.

Call STW back and ask for a SWD appointed visit. They have 5 working days to get out to you or ask for a SWD form and just fill it in and post it back.

Cardew

Gothicfairy wrote: »

You don't need to contact them yet and to be honest you HAVE to go through the complaint process with the water company BEFORE they will take on your case anyway.

Call STW back and ask for a SWD appointed visit. They have 5 working days to get out to you or ask for a SWD form and just fill it in and post it back.

You are(as usual) absolutely correct.

However if a water company is tardy in their responses, a phone call from the Consumer Council for Water, rather than them implimenting the full complaints procedure, usually gets some action.

deanos

Sounds like the building has been converted without informing the water company before you start blaming them it could be the builder/landlords fault , is the building owned by the same person still ? , does it only have 1 supply for them both ?

They will not take your word for it over the phone, its needs a inspector to come round and see whats happening

It could be that you are paying for both properties if a new supply has not been put into the other building and you will be liable if your name on the bill

homes2222

To follow up what Deanos said. Your conveyancer will (should?) have done an enquiry of Severn Trent to find out what the position was as to water services and drainage and he will (should?) have flagged this to you.

I'd be inclined to ask them what the results of this enquiry were. What happens next will depend on how they respond. If they didn't do this standard enquiry then if you suffer any loss then then take it up with the conveyancer. If they did, but didn't discuss this with you - again, ask them why?