Yorkshire Water - Accountability to the customer?

Simon7685

I have just contacted Yorkshire Water for the 4th time since we moved into our new home last July. I pay a set amount by standing order through my bank each month to cover my use and that is not an issue.

What I am having an issue with is how they are taking money from my account without any accountability. This has happened constantly since we moved here and I have raised the issue with them but it still goes on.

I received a 4th quarter bill on 13 February which covered actual usage to 12/02/15 and left a credit on my account of £26.21. Since then I have made a payment this month of £35 so my balance should be £61.21 CR.

I logged into my account on Monday to find that they have a balance on my account of only £8.79 CR. Yet there is no bill or statement to account for the money they have taken. It is still showing the same today and still no statement or bill.

Clearly they have obviously taken the money for something but is it unreasonable to expect them to account for it? This has happened on at least 3 occasions since last July. I have contacted them each time it has happened to say I am not happy with them not accounting for taking the money from my account without knowing what it is for. They apologise each time and blame administrative error but it continues to happen.

I wondered if anybody else has had anything similar with Yorkshire Water and what can I do to make them account for what they take?
I am not suggesting that anything underhand is going on but surely they have a legal obligation to account for any money they take from my account by means of a bill or statement?

My gas/electric company take money from my bank and accrue it as a credit on my account until they produce a quarterly bill when they then use that credit to cover the bill but they provide a bill and are therefore showing accountability. I do not understand how Yorkshire Water find it acceptable to take my money without a bill???

Is there anything I can do to force them to be accountable? Without a bill, technically I have no idea where my money has gone and in fairness it could be anywhere.

Any ideas anyone?

Cardew

Is it a Direct Debit with Yorkshire Water - and not a Standing Order?


Obviously if there is any debit on your account it must be accounted for - is it possible that sewerage is with another company?


If you have an issue WRITE to Yorkshire Water headed COMPLAINT - don't phone!


You can contact the Consumer Council for Water if it is an issue.

Simon7685

It is a standing order not a direct debit I have in place on the account, that way I know that I am in control of what my payments are and I always make sure they cover the usage.

The sewerage is operated by Yorkshire Water and is included on their bills, when I get them.

Sorry I should have made it clear, I have contacted them on each occasion in writing by email through their "contact us" point on the website, although I have not headed it with Complaint, which in hindsight I should have done. Experience has shown me over the years to always handle things in writing then there is no doubt.

All I want is for them to account for where my money is going by means of a statement or bill. It feels a bit like a storm in a tea cup scenario but they should be accountable and I don't think that's unreasonable to expect.

I will have to have to have a look for the consumer council as I haven't heard of them before so thanks for that I appreciate it.

k3lvc

Can you not simply go online and register for paperless billing allowing you to see all your details online ? - or is it easier to spend the time ranting about the company ?

macman

If you used DD, you would have far more control, as under the DD guarantee scheme your bank would have to immediately refund any payments taken without prior notification. By insisting on using an SO, you have no such protection in place. Most water authorities bill annually or twice yearly, certainly not quarterly.

Simon7685

k3lvc wrote: »

Can you not simply go online and register for paperless billing allowing you to see all your details online ? - or is it easier to spend the time ranting about the company ?

I am already in receipt of online billing, which is how I know things do not add up. IE. my online billing shows the balance on the account does not match what it should and there is no bill or statement to account for the difference.

I hardly think accusing me of ranting about the company is a fair representation of what I have raised. I have simply asked if other people have had any similar issues!

Perhaps being a bit more constructive and helpful towards other people rather than judgemental might be more appropriate on your part but thank you anyway for your unhelpful contribution:(

There I was thinking that helping others and asking about other peoples experiences was what forums like this were for?

Simon7685

macman wrote: »

If you used DD, you would have far more control, as under the DD guarantee scheme your bank would have to immediately refund any payments taken without prior notification. By insisting on using an SO, you have no such protection in place. Most water authorities bill annually or twice yearly, certainly not quarterly.

I fully understand what you mean and don't entirely disagree with you on that. I choose to use SO as in my experiences, sometimes these companies can set silly DD payment amounts and then you have the issue of having to get them reducing it back down again because they over estimate usage.

I realise that I forgo the guarantee but prefer to know what my payment will be every month. I also don't think it is a question of the money going missing as such. More just that they are not accounting for it with transparent billing. The last time this happened they blamed their billing system and said for some reason I did not receive the online statement. An issue they said has since been rectified.

I am not suggesting they are taking money that they are not entitled to, just that the bills have to equal the amount they take and without a bill that isn't the case.

k3lvc

Simon7685 wrote: »

I am already in receipt of online billing, which is how I know things do not add up. IE. my online billing shows the balance on the account does not match what it should and there is no bill or statement to account for the difference.

I hardly think accusing me of ranting about the company is a fair representation of what I have raised. I have simply asked if other people have had any similar issues!

Perhaps being a bit more constructive and helpful towards other people rather than judgemental might be more appropriate on your part but thank you anyway for your unhelpful contribution:(

There I was thinking that helping others and asking about other peoples experiences was what forums like this were for?

Thanks gratefully received - in reality you're trying to play outside the established systems by paying by SO and expecting them to toe the line with more regular/detailed billing. It may have been prudent before doing this to check their billing process and ensure it me with your expectations otherwise you're left in the same situation as others with a reconcilable helf yearly/yearly bill

Somerset

k3lvc wrote: »

to check their billing process and ensure it me with your expectations

The OP has an expectation of a bill. You think he shouldn't have that expectation ?

Simon7685

k3lvc wrote: »

Thanks gratefully received - in reality you're trying to play outside the established systems by paying by SO and expecting them to toe the line with more regular/detailed billing. It may have been prudent before doing this to check their billing process and ensure it me with your expectations otherwise you're left in the same situation as others with a reconcilable helf yearly/yearly bill

I wouldn't say that my method of payment is connected to what they are doing there is no difference to paying with SO than paying each month by the payment card system they operate, except I do it automatically by SO and not go to the P.O. or Paypoint outlet.

The problem is down to YW taking money from the credit balance on my account and not providing any bill or statement to show why they have taken it, where it has gone and what it is for.

If my bank suddenly took £100 out of my account, I have an expectation that they should tell me why they have done it and what it was for. This is no different.

matelodave

Are you metered. I would guess that YW have guesstimated how much water/sewerage that you would use in a year and divide it by 12. That would give them an amount to debit your account by. You SO would then hopefully be credited to the account when they get it and hopefully it should just about balance.
Most water co's bill either annually or six monthly so any intermediate statements may not have all the details especially if you've chosen to do something that their billing system can't easily cope with.
If you do the sums is it about right? The account should be reconciled annually, not necessarily every month, day or quarter.