MSE News: Anglian Water SoLow customer? It's axing the tariff meaning bill hikes

ampersand

James_Mass wrote: »

Has anyone registered their interest with the LITE tariff? ....

#
Yes.
It will be interesting to see what absence of income [or level of irresponsibility] meets their criterion.;)
They won't find any income other than State Pension chez &.
And I do believe postie forgot to deliver my AW letter again today.

Katiehound

Still no letter for me either.....only a week to go.... it's obviously a ploy to keep customers in the dark like magic mushrooms.

SpanishBlue

I'm another one on the SoLow tariff who has not received a letter yet.

Very poor from Anglian water - both for lack of communication and for the massive price increase for SoLow users.

James_Mass

Dear Customer

Over the last year we've been speaking to lots of our customers to get their thoughts on our business plan. We've now finalised our plan, and this includes a promise to keep our charges as low as possible, for as many customers as possible, over the next five years. Acting on the feedback we received from customers, we are making some changes to our tariff.

Our tariffs are changing.
To make sure all of our customers pay fair charges based on the actual costs to provide them the water and sewerage services they use, we have to make some changes. This includes phasing out the SoLow tariff you are currently on.

The Solow tariff was originally introduced to support our metering programme and ensure that lower water users would not be unfairly impacted when they moved from unmeasured charges to metered bills. However, as more and more households have switched over to meters, the water consumption data suggests that the cross subsidy for SoLow has been supporting a much broader range of customers.

We always encourage water efficiency and will continue to support this in a variety of ways, for example by offering free water-saving devices and water efficiency home visits.

What does it mean for you, and your charges?
From the 1st April 2015 the SoLow tariff will end. But you shouldn't worry, as we are phasing it out over three years, slowly moving you onto our Standard rate. Any changes you might see in your bill will be gradual - and, of course, as you're on a meter if you use less water you'll still keep your bill low.

The main difference you'll notice is a standing charge included on your bill from April. However, you'll also notice a reduction in the amount you pay for each cubic metre of water you use. Again if you use less water, this will keep your bill low.

You can see the details of these changes on our website at www.anglianwater.co.uk/solow

What you need to do.
You don't need to do anything. There will be no change to the way you receive or pay your bills and the gradual phasing out of the tariff will be managed by us.

Problems paying?
If you find that you are having problems paying your water bills, please get in touch with us on 0800 919 155 as there may be other ways that we can help.

Yours Sincerely,
Martin Oakley

Cardew

Total Water and Sewerage charges with Surface Water Drainage
Average charges 2014/15 2015/16
35m3 per year £163.53 £177.49
45m3 per year £210.26 £215.87
60m3 per year £280.34 £273.46

B279

My bill is going up by over 250% as a result of this change. I think I will be with holding payment for a large part of my new bill and make them chase me for it. If 300,000 customers did this it might make them take notice. Such increases are unacceptable and with only a few days warning it's just not right.

Cardew

B279 wrote: »

My bill is going up by over 250% as a result of this change. I think I will be with holding payment for a large part of my new bill and make them chase me for it. If 300,000 customers did this it might make them take notice. Such increases are unacceptable and with only a few days warning it's just not right.

How much is 250% in monetary terms? - presumably over 3 years?


The extract from Anglian's website, in post#56 above yours, shows an increase next year of £14pa and £5pa for customers using 35m3 and 45m3, and a decrease of £7pa for a customer using 60m3.


The subsidy the 300,000 SoLow customers currently receive is funded by a levy on the charges paid by the remainder of Anglian's customers. That subsidy is not 'means tested'; thus a well-off couple could be getting a subsidy from a large family who are not well-off and indeed better at saving water.


Given the above, is that fair? What solution do you propose? Presumably you think they should carry on subsidising SoLow customers??

Jerry_Mander

Cardew it's quite obvious that you're a neo-liberal apologist. In fact the tone of your posts leads me to believe you have a vested interest in Anglian Water's brutality.

It is not a subsidy (typical right-wing piffle) for the low users at the expense of the high users. No, it's a tax on the high water users for being so profligate with a scarce resource. Of course the twisted neo-liberal ethic can't sustain that concept for long as we can't have the rich (water gluttons) "subsidising" the poor now can we?

I find your responses quite nausiatingly offensive.

Given the above, is that fair? What solution do you propose? Presumably you think they should carry on subsidising SoLow customers??

Any decent human being would.

Cardew

Jerry_Mander wrote: »

Cardew it's quite obvious that you're a neo-liberal apologist. In fact the tone of your posts leads me to believe you have a vested interest in Anglian Water's brutality.

It is not a subsidy (typical right-wing piffle) for the low users at the expense of the high users. . Of course the twisted neo-liberal ethic can't sustain that concept for long as we can't have the rich (water gluttons) "subsidising" the poor now can we?
No, it's a tax on the high water users for being so profligate with a scarce resource
I find your responses quite nausiatingly offensive.

Any decent human being would.

Well I never; someone who supports a company's logic must have an interest in the company! how original - not.

You are absolutely incorrect on several matters.

Anglian's decision on the SoLow tariff is absolutely cost neutral to the company; their revenue and hence profit is determined by the Regulator. Like any commercial company if water companies could increase charges without restriction from the Regulator, and hence profit, they wouldn't hesitate.

The SoLow tariff was kept low by a subsidy from other users - a cross subsidy. Have you bothered to read the Anglian website or the letter in post#55?

However, as more and more households have switched over to meters, the water consumption data suggests that the cross subsidy for SoLow has been supporting a much broader range of customers.

I find this statement of yours quite rather silly:

No, it's a tax on the high water users for being so profligate with a scarce resource

Profligate? Really? A large family who use less water per head than a one or two person household(on a So Low tariff) are profligate?

'nausiatingly(sic) offensive' - Why? neo-liberal apologist -Why?

Can you not do better than an ad hominem response instead of dealing with the facts?

So is your solution to keep the SoLow cross-subsidy from other users - many of whom might be more frugal with water consumption than SoLow customers?

Jerry_Mander

Cardew, look at this company's obscene profits and realise on that basis alone you have no counter argument. None.

And I always reserve ad hominem attacks for those (right wing, neo-liberals) that deserve them.