Assessed Water - Over charge

blackaqua

As we can't have a meter fitted at our current property we will be put on an assessed charge with Affinity Water. They will charge for 115m3 being in the "central" region (vs ~80 elsewhere).

From our last flat we used 65m3 per year for two people. This year in our new flat we no longer have a garden (saving the odd watering can), plus both people are working (previously only 1) and one person is regularly away on business (~40% of the year).

Does anyone know of any routes of appeal, as we will be paying ~40% more than we should with a meter as a minimum (more when you consider the lower usage).

Our usage is quite low as we're frugal with water and have installed water saving stuff on everything.

Thanks

deanos

If you are with the same company than i would ask them to check your previous metered useage and get them to base it on that

macman

But the assessed charge is based on the property, not the consumption at a previous address?

Cardew

You give your location as Plymouth which is obviously not in the Affinity area.

The detail of charges is here:

https://www.affinitywater.co.uk/docs/AW-Charges-schemes2013-14-revised-28May13.pdf

Charges vary greatly across the country - with Plymouth being the highest! Even within a company's area of responsibility there can be several regions with differing charges.

Assessed charges are sometimes based on number of occupants and sometimes on number of bedrooms. In Affinity water they use occupants for water supply and depending on who 'handles' sewerage, number of bedrooms.

If I have read the document correctly, you are indeed charged(2 people) for 115 Cu Mtrs in the Central region but 'only' pay £144.60pa

Those couples in the South East region also pay for 115 Cubic metres but pay £231.30.

It is those in the East region that only pay for 79 cubic metres but that cost is £158.40

So it would appear that you have the cheapest assessed charge in the whole district.

They can only use average costs in a region for assessed charges - otherwise everyone would claim to be very low users with no way of disproving that claim

deanos

macman wrote: »

But the assessed charge is based on the property, not the consumption at a previous address?

Depends on how they work the figures out, some companies use a questionaire and ask questions on useage, if they have previous useage via meter then they know how much the customer uses, cant really see why they cant use that

Cardew

deanos wrote: »

Depends on how they work the figures out, some companies use a questionaire and ask questions on useage, if they have previous useage via meter then they know how much the customer uses, cant really see why they cant use that

Not often(ever?) I disagree with you, but I can't see your idea getting off the ground - and nor should it IMO.

The previous usage would be in a different property, with possibly totally different conditions to the current property.

The new property could have a garden, children born whilst in occupation, build extensions, Mother-in Law come to stay etc!

deanos

Some work out AMC on useage based on questions that are asked thats for sure, i know Anglian is one that does this not sure who else

But if the house is similar sized etc then cant see wht they cant use previous bills

blackaqua

Thanks for the responses, I'll approach them with the previous bill and take it further through the CCW if needed.

Regarding the two properties they are indentical appliance/feature wise (obviously effciency of appliances/water pressure will vary figures), but this one is minus a garden and with an extra working person (no usage during the day). I guess the effort is in proving this

freshstart11

through out the whole region it is billed the same way if you can not have a meter, regardless of use. Affinity bill on number of people and use the areas average. Thames who bill part of the area on waste is number of bedrooms in the property and anglian,who deal with the other is a lot more fussy. every water company has its own way of working it, all agreed through OFWAT.

No matter if you are low users or high users for the number of people it IS based on occupiers and that is unlikely to change