Water Bill - Totally Unreasonable!!!Please help! Extortion from Affinity Water!

expensive_london

Hi,

I recently moved to New Barnet, which is in North London where my water supplier is Affinity Water. The property does not have meter so I have to pay unmetered water bills. I just received my first bill since moving, which is for 7 months and is for £387. This is for a tiny studio apartment where only two adults live. It has one bathroom and only a washing machine, no dishwasher.

For comparison, I used to live in North Finchley in a two bedroom apartment with two full bathrooms, washing machine and dishwasher. We were four adults and use to pay around £230 for six months.

The new water bill from Affinity seems extortionist. Please advise if this seems like a normal bill? What should I do in such a case? I am going to call Affinity on Monday to get some type of explanation of this ridiculous bill but I fear nothing will come of it and like usual I will have to pay ridiculous bills for utilities.

I would appreciate your onions and help!!!!:(:(:(:(:(:(

HappyMJ

Sounds normal to me. What is the rateable value and who is the wastewater supplier? Have you considered a swtch to a meter? 2 adults should use much less in a studio apartment than the average. Your bill should then be around the £200 mark for 6 months.

Cardew

The charges for Affinity water(was Violia) are here

https://www.affinitywater.co.uk/docs/Charges_Scheme_2012-2013.pdf

Your charges depend on where you live in their catchment area and who 'handles'(if you will forgive the term!) your sewerage. Anglian water or Thames Water. Anglian for instance charge a standard rate of £217.01 pa.

Anglian metered charges for sewerage are way more expensive than Thames.

If you post a full breakdown of your bill(including Rateable value -RV) we may be able to give a fuller explanation.

expensive_london

The bill breakdown is as follows:

Water - 505 x £0.6483 per year = £183.88
Standing charge £23.39

Sewerage (Thames Water)
505 x £0.4022 per year = £114.08
Standing charge £23.59

Total £386.40 for the period of September 2012 to March 2013

What I do not get is, how is it possible for 4 adults in a two bedroom apartment to pay close to £100 less per six months than 2 adults in a studio? This just does not make any sense.

dzug1

Because the bill is based on the (theoretical) value of the property, nothing whatsoever to do with how many people occupy it.

A meter would probably reduce your charge dramatically

expensive_london

ok, thanks but how do I switch to a meter? Is this something I have to do through the water company or landlord?

HappyMJ

expensive_london wrote: »

ok, thanks but how do I switch to a meter? Is this something I have to do through the water company or landlord?

You didn't mention it but your bill covers 205 days. It would be £688 for the full year. £344 for 6 months.

Ask your landlord. If only to be nice as the decision cannot be reversed. If they refuse then ask for them to contribute towards the bill if they wish to keep it the way it is. Otherwise if they refuse to help you then just apply to the water company for a meter. If they can't fit a meter you can go onto an assessed charge which in your case would be much cheaper.

Cardew

expensive_london wrote: »

The bill breakdown is as follows:

Water - 505 x £0.6483 per year = £183.88
Standing charge £23.39

Sewerage (Thames Water)
505 x £0.4022 per year = £114.08
Standing charge £23.59

Total £386.40 for the period of September 2012 to March 2013

What I do not get is, how is it possible for 4 adults in a two bedroom apartment to pay close to £100 less per six months than 2 adults in a studio? This just does not make any sense.

You are in the Lee Valley area and you have a Rateable value of £505. That accounts for your bill.

I find it quite extraordinary that a studio flat has a Rateable Value of £505 - in fact it is plain wrong. £505 would be for a good size detached house.

As you still have an RV - meters have been compulsory since April 1990 - would I be correct in assuming that your flat is in a conversion of a larger house?

If so I would give you decent odds that you are paying the water charges based on the Rateable Value of all the original house. It could be that you are the only one paying water charges in the house, or all occupants are paying based on a RV of £505.

This situation has occurred quite often.

There is no way to alter the RV.

katekelly_3

Sorry to put this in this thread but I'm new, not a total technophobe but can't for the life of me find how I open a new thread! Whereabouts do I do it from?

Thanks in advance

Cardew

katekelly wrote: »

Sorry to put this in this thread but I'm new, not a total technophobe but can't for the life of me find how I open a new thread! Whereabouts do I do it from?

Thanks in advance

Go to the Board where you want to post e.g. Water and it is top left



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katekelly_3

I can only reply to posts. There is no option to post new ones :-/