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

Ken68

The standing charge is a hiding place for not only profiteering but also wastefulness.
The chap that came to me under the Home visit system, started off in Ipswich, had two calls, one in Lincs. and one in Norfolk then back to base. 8 hours at least plus petrol.
The pieces he put on the taps fell out within a week and the rest of the stuff supplied could have been posted.

Cardew

Ken68 wrote: »

The standing charge is a hiding place for not only profiteering but also wastefulness.
The chap that came to me under the Home visit system, started off in Ipswich, had two calls, one in Lincs. and one in Norfolk then back to base. 8 hours at least plus petrol.
The pieces he put on the taps fell out within a week and the rest of the stuff supplied could have been posted.

Ken,
That is quite a different argument.


You know well from my many posts over the years that the whole business of water privatisation was a huge mistake, and the charging methods employed by the various companies are little short of a disgrace.


The huge variation in prices between different areas of country, where the South West customers can pay 3 times more than some other areas is indefensible.


The whole business of Surface Water Drainage is also a nonsense. Not to mention the huge variation in levels of Standing charges between companies.


Then take water charges based on a Rateable Value assessed as long ago as 1973. An H rated house for Council tax can pay tiny water charges based on a peppercorn RV. I could go on and on.


What should happen is some standardisation of charges across the whole country - or better still re-nationalise the water industry.


However the SoLow tariff is nothing to do with Anglian's profits. To repeat for the benefit of those, like Jerry Mander it is simply a internal cross-subsidisation to, generally, one or two occupant properties from other customers of Anglian - some of whom could be more frugal with water use.


No other company has such a subsidised tariff like SoLow and I haven't seen any argument that justifies its retention.

Cardew

Jerry_Mander wrote: »

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.

A counter-argument requires an argument to be put forward. As far as I can see you haven't advanced any argument; merely engaged in a personal attack.

4$£&*(£$&*(!

Cardew I have read your posts and re-read them. I'm not intending to engage you in a spat but would politely point out this is a money saving forum so you won't find people celebrating this massive hike for SoLow consumers whether you feel justified in your position or not.

It's also incredibly patronising how you have taken to speaking to some here. I'd suggest you accept your views will not be welcomed by the vast majority of SoLow customers who this change affects. Then you need to accept as a consequence you're rubbing up people the wrong way here.

In other words give it a break dear chap?

4$£&*(£$&*(!

I've had the same reply as James Mass http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=68040422&postcount=55.

Really obvious AW have decided this will be their bog standard reply, so I've asked them if this is their full and final position. That will mean we've reached a deadlock and I have the ability to go to the Consumer Council for Water.

I'd suggest others who get a standard reply also ask if this is their full and final position to also get the right to escalate to CCW.

Ken68

Tax avoidance too....


https://adrippingtap.wordpress.com/tag/anglian-water/




Unbelievable

zaphod42_2

Amongst the advertising junk I received in January from AW, was an item about how wonderful the "Solow" tariff is. I know, I have been using it for around six years. So very sad to see that AW have scrapped it.

My notice letter from AW arrived on Friday - with no details about the transistion arrangements or the new tariff. Just a bland sentence sending me to their web-site. Hello AW!! not everyone in Suffolk has access to good quality broadband, in order to find out the details. Nor is the website easy to navigate.

In my case the new standing charge will be very similar to my current, total, water bill. My calculations show that I will be around 55% worse off in three year's time. (not counting any future standard tariff changes.)

I do not understand how a "regulated" industry can force through such huge changes to its tariffs within the terms of its licence. Where are our MPs when we need them??

Luckily I am not in the position of being able to qualify for the new hardship tariff; so I will just be spending less in the shops on a weekly basis in order to help AW with their profits.

footyguy

Cardew wrote: »

How much is 250% in monetary terms? ...

Presumably about £100

i.e about £40 today on solo compared to £140 on normal tariff in 3 years time (at todays prices)

I work that out as about 7m3 per year - or about 4 gallons per day, barely enough on average to flush the toilet twice a day let alone anything else.

Presumably the newcomer either has their sums wrong, has made up the whole thing, ... or it's a second home - in which case they shouldn't be on solo at all

Jerry_Mander

Cardew wrote: »

or better still re-nationalise the water industry.

Now you're being sensible. But you still fall far short of showing any compassion.

What you and your ilk must recognise is that water is a right and not a privilege for the monied few. There should be a basic, free and generous allowance of water for each and every person in this rich country of ours. Then if you want to use over and above that amount, that's where you start paying for it.

footyguy

CitySlicker wrote: »

I've had the same reply as James Mass http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=68040422&postcount=55.

Really obvious AW have decided this will be their bog standard reply, so I've asked them if this is their full and final position. That will mean we've reached a deadlock and I have the ability to go to the Consumer Council for Water.

I'd suggest others who get a standard reply also ask if this is their full and final position to also get the right to escalate to CCW.

The CCW say (from waterwise) for even a single person household as a low user, 45m3 of water a year would probably be used (average is 66m3 and high is 100m3)
http://www.ccwater.org.uk/savewaterandmoney/averagewateruse/

So even for a low single user, this year is only going to cost £5 a year more. At normal tariff (presumably in 3 years time) it would cost about £35 a year more or about 70p a week.
(anyone who uses more will see a smaller oncost)

In view of the reasons Anglian say they are disbanding the tariff, and the oncost to even a low single user, I doubt you are going to get much support from the CCW or anyone else.