Southern Water - AWFUL. As if grief isn't hard enough to deal with

bylromarha

Southern Water was mum's supplier.

I rang 5th Nov to inform them of mums death and that I would be dealing with the estate, but we had to get letters of administration as there was no will. I also told them I wanted all correspondence going to mum's address - they didn't need to know the reason, but I wanted to (and still do want to) deal with mum's estate in my time, when I was emotionally prepared for it, and didn't want random letters popping through my front door here and there as a constant reminder, or something else to deal with.

I was told the account was on hold as of that date and to ring them when probate arrived. As a metered property, when the house was empty and unfurnished, give them a call.

A red bill from Southern Water appeared around 10th Jan. I rang today to sort it out - tried before but snow days meant they weren't taking calls.

I was told that they cannot put the account on hold and are still billing mum as, GET THIS, I will not give them my home address to send the bills to. Therefore they can only assume the property is still being lived in, therefore still should be billed. :mad::mad::mad:

I'm fuming. The post is still being collected from the house. No-one is living there. I've informed them no-one is living there, but until they see my documents from probate in order to get my address, Mum will still be billed. She's been dead for over 2 months for goodness sake. I asked if it will be backdated - no definite answers were given either way on that one as they needed to see council tax exemption as proof of death and no one living at the house.

Anyone else had this from a utility? Can't quite believe the way I was treated just now and the way they are dealing with this.

Hermia

Poor you. I actually found the utility companies were all fantastic, especially compared to some of the other companies/organisations I had to inform. None of them were keen on only sending bills to my mum's empty house though (I didn't get the impression is was because they were concerned I was secretly living there though). I was okay about having bills sent to me though so it wasn't a problem and one company was okay with me using paperless billing instead.

troubleinparadise

Sounds as though you've encountered someone who doesn't know SW's system. A copy of the death certificate should be very good proof in advance of probate/letters of administration.

A colleague fell for the line that they needed a copy of the will (!) before they would accept her name as executor..... And duly sent it off before thinking a little more clearly about the ridiculousness of the request!

toontron

I have had the same problem following my Father passing away. I informed Thames Water, who then sent a red bill courtesy of my own address. Rang them to say they would have to wait for probate and was told that was fine. Two days later a letter arrives addressed to my Father from a debt collection agency:mad:

Rang Thames Water and asked what they were playing at, setting debt collectors on to a deceased customer and was informed that they "assumed he must have been married, and that his wife must be living at the property":mad:

My Mother died in 2006, and was never on the bill in the first place:(

getmore4less

Always a good idea to ask where to send the death cert and a reading or ask them to do one.

That should get the accounts change to executors/administrator of.

Going forward it might not be any better but should have everything addressed to executors and there should be no reason for them not to accept the property as the address.

Any bill should be seperate from the final for the original owner, and if readings sent in to show no use they should be low/nill