I screwed up & now panicking.

macman

Agreed. But the supplier is not without other sanctions, if they wish to use them.

Dr_Pepper_3

Thanks guys for the posts - opinion is clearly divided on the matter. I'm going to phone and fess up. I will be pretty annoyed though if they try and charge me the whole lot - after all if they're the sole supplier of water why did it take them 3 years to ask for money?

The reason I didn't consider a meter in the past was because my bill seemed reasonable (and I'm planning to sell next year). If I was paying another bill every month I would probably have have got a meter from the start, which would have reduced my bill.

Anyway I guess I'll find out.

Tigsteroonie

£34 per month for just sewerage seems steep - we pay £34 per month for combined water & sewerage on our 2bed house up here.

Cardew

Dr_Pepper wrote: »

I will be pretty annoyed though if they try and charge me the whole lot - after all if they're the sole supplier of water why did it take them 3 years to ask for money?

Because you didn't inform them you had moved in! Houses remain unoccupied for years.

I understand your assumption that £34 a month covered both, but unfortunately it was a wrong assumption.

Had you read the sewerage bills it would be perfectly clear that you were only being charged for sewerage - not water.

GM11

i know some will be horrified by this but......
IF it was me i would ignore the fact you have a letter, BUT call up and say something along the lines of 'hi, i would like to register as a customer FROM TODAY and would it be possible to get a meter please' the reason i would do this is because there is no meter therefore they have no idea how much if any water has been used (the place may have been empty) i wouldn't mention anything about being in the property for three years, i wouldnt lie but i would be careful with what i said . end of the day some will say dishonest some will say it saves money. you choose

Cardew

GM11 wrote: »

i know some will be horrified by this but......
IF it was me i would ignore the fact you have a letter, BUT call up and say something along the lines of 'hi, i would like to register as a customer FROM TODAY and would it be possible to get a meter please' the reason i would do this is because there is no meter therefore they have no idea how much if any water has been used (the place may have been empty) i wouldn't mention anything about being in the property for three years, i wouldnt lie but i would be careful with what i said . end of the day some will say dishonest some will say it saves money. you choose

This is a money saving website, and not for giving advice on criminal deception!

If you read the opening post a little more carefully you should have picked up that the OP has been paying sewerage bills for the 3 years she has been in the house.

Presumably the OP is also paying Council tax.

As nobody has paid for water for 3 years, do you not think it possible Essex and Suffolk water just might ask when the OP moved in? - and run a simple check.

Also why would they have(unusually) sent a 'threatening letter' to 'The Occupier' unless they were aware of the situation.

GM11

Cardew wrote: »

This is a money saving website, and not for giving advice on criminal deception!

If you read the opening post a little more carefully you should have picked up that the OP has been paying sewerage bills for the 3 years she has been in the house.

Presumably the OP is also paying Council tax.

As nobody has paid for water for 3 years, do you not think it possible Essex and Suffolk water just might ask when the OP moved in? - and run a simple check.

Also why would they have(unusually) sent a 'threatening letter' to 'The Occupier' unless they were aware of the situation.

actually i am not suggesting anything, certainly i didnt suggest being criminal,. the fact is they havnt done a check as you say is simple to do a register check and clearly they havnt! or it would be addressed to the OP and not occupier.
i dont want to say too much or give 'insider' information, but the letter was sent purely because no record of payments from address. it would be normal to chase last person by name, therefore previous resident has obviously informed of leaving. read what i actualy said i didnt say lie i said offer to register and pay from the date they call up, if it's challenged then again i wouldn't suggest to telling porkies, but i do suggest unless asked outright for a date simply dont offer the information!
there are many houses that are empty for long periods so no alot of the water dont bother checking actual dates.....
and i repeat i outlined how i would go about calling them, a simple if they dont ask dont tell. hardly criminal

Cardew

Of course it is criminal! It is deception!

GM11

Cardew wrote: »

Of course it is criminal! It is deception!

ironically i would normally agree with you!! but to me being charged £34 just for sewage is what is rely criminal, i can OP thought she was already paying. and what we all and especially us in SWW area get charged for something like water wich is critical for sustaining life thats what i call CRIMINAL. i wouldn't worry yourself too much about it they will be robbing her blind soon enough

Cardew

GM11 wrote: »

ironically i would normally agree with you!! but to me being charged £34 just for sewage is what is rely criminal, i can OP thought she was already paying. and what we all and especially us in SWW area get charged for something like water wich is critical for sustaining life thats what i call CRIMINAL. i wouldn't worry yourself too much about it they will be robbing her blind soon enough

If you care to look back through my posts you will find that I have been highly critical of the privatisation of the water industry and the conduct of the water companies since that event.

Many in the South West would love to be 'only' paying £34 a month for sewerage. The disparity between different regions in UK is a scandal. There can be no defence of a system that means water/sewerage charges can be 3 or 4 times higher in one area than other areas.

The water companies are in a win/win situation which is reflected in the manner in which their share prices have risen over the years. The Regulator(Ofwat) fixes the level of their revenue and hence profit margin.

I was making the point to you that MSE is not about using deception to avoid bills.

We have a regular poster(samsmoot) who continually posts encouraging people not to pay water charges(he thanked you!). He, and you??, ignore the fact the any loss of revenue suffered by the water companies is simply compensated by increasing the charges for all other customers to raise the same revenue referred to above.