MSE News: Water bills to be added to credit reports 18 February 2013 at 1:33PM in Water bills 35 replies 4.6K views

Former_MSE_Helen

"Paying water bills on time could help you get a credit card or mortgage, as Yorkshire Water accounts will be tracked..."

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Water bills to be added to credit reports



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zerog

Well even if this comes in for the rest of the country, Experian can't seem to find half of the accounts at my address so lenders wouldn't see it anyway

wakeupalarm

Do they disclose the amount of the bills/payments as well?

Experian_company_representative

zerog wrote: »

Well even if this comes in for the rest of the country, Experian can't seem to find half of the accounts at my address so lenders wouldn't see it anyway

Zerog

If your report is still incomplete please drop us a line and we'll investigate for you - [email protected]

Thanks
James Jones

Buzby

Does not apply to Scotland, as water charges are billed via Council Tax and are not separate. As for for helping Experian make their database more accurate - that's a laugh. Perhaps if they paid for your executive input it might be a consideration, but for free?

C'mon!

On a different topic - the DPA requires consumers to give 'informed consent' to allow a firm share your financial dealings with any CRA. This means the utilities must seek the approval of their customer. You are not forced or obliged to agree to let them do this, so since the usual recourse is for the firm to decline giving you a service as they insist on compliance.

But water? This is a human right - what company is going to cut someone off because the refuse to share their details with a CRA? This could be fun!

Cardew

Buzby wrote: »

On a different topic - the DPA requires consumers to give 'informed consent' to allow a firm share your financial dealings with any CRA. This means the utilities must seek the approval of their customer. You are not forced or obliged to agree to let them do this, so since the usual recourse is for the firm to decline giving you a service as they insist on compliance.

I hope you are correct. However that statement is in conflict with this in the OP's article.

Experian has been adding accounts to its database over the past few weeks, with all five million Yorkshire customers now on its system.

Perhaps the Experian rep could comment.

Experian_company_representative

wakeupalarm wrote: »

Do they disclose the amount of the bills/payments as well?

wakeupalarm

For each month, you can expect to see details of any payment due along with any outstanding balance, plus a status code to show whether any previous payments are still outstanding.

James Jones

Experian_company_representative

Buzby

Customer agreement is obtained through a privacy notice at the outset of the relationship, which is an annual contract. The data sharing is not optional but required by the supplier in order to provide the service. We have worked with the regulators and consumer organisations to agree how this should be done for water accounts in a fair and consistent manner, so it is certainly compliant.

James Jones

mcbob_2

The data sharing is not optional but required by the supplier in order to provide the service

So if I refuse to agree to this vital data sharing, the water company can't complete it's service?

Can someone still be supplied water if they refuse to do this?

I for see people being cut off or denied access to water due to adverse credit...or being forced into paying punitive rates... either way it's bad news for the consumer.

I have plenty of bank accounts/credit cards you already report on, which is fine as they are credit agreements - so why expand into an area which is patently NOT CREDIT.

This is nothing more than revenue making opportunity for Experian - yet another data land grab. When will it stop? Medical records? Fingerprints? DNA?

Cardew

Experian_company_representative wrote: »

Buzby

Customer agreement is obtained through a privacy notice at the outset of the relationship, which is an annual contract. The data sharing is not optional but required by the supplier in order to provide the service. We have worked with the regulators and consumer organisations to agree how this should be done for water accounts in a fair and consistent manner, so it is certainly compliant.

James Jones

Customer's data might be required by the Water Company; but on what grounds should they share that, for every customer, with a commercial organisation like Experian?

It is not as if customers have any choice who supplies their water and sewerage services.

I am not with Yorkshire, but it is inevitable that some customers will strongly object and take the matter further. The Water companies don't give credit.

If your tentacles spread to other water companies - you will have some serious problems with customers going to law on this issue.

This will run and run.

WelshRarebit

What purpose does this serve? Water companies do not provide credit to the public...they provide a basic human right (albeit an expensive one).......access to clean water. Its not like you can go to another provider like with gas or electricity. Water companies are legally prohibited from cutting off your domestic water supply no matter what state your account with them is in.

This just stinks of banks covertly teaming up with credit reference agencies to get even more data on customers affairs and sticking their noses into things that don't concern them....after all, the only organizations that this data would be of any benefit to are the banks. What next....asking pub landlords to provide data on people who run up tabs behind the bar??