Massive water bill

Squidgey87

Hi all,

I moved to the UK last summer from the EU having never rented before and moved into a nice place via an agent.

I asked the agent what utility companies I needed to contact to change my details and he advised me by email that the landlord was looking after all the transferring and that I would receive letters when I moved in.

Over the first weeketters arrived, council tax, gas, electricity so I sent off my details and went on my merry way.

Fast forward to today I come in from work, and there's a water bill in my name for 500 pounds. From June 2014 to March 2015 and forward for March 2015 to 2016.

I moved in last July and as far as I was concerned all the bills were transferred by my landlord. To get a retrospective bill ten months later is really tough because it's a lot of money that I could have been paying month on month if he had actually tranferred it. I only have three months left on my lease and I am not staying on, yet the bill is also for 2016.

Can anybody give me any advice on this?

Thank you

Rollinghills

From what you say it sounds like your water is not metered, i.e. it's a fixed annual charge, is that right?

I think you should call the water company. Tell them the exact date you moved in and ask to recalculate the bill for last year (anything before you moved in should be sent to the landlord). Then tell them when you will be moving out and ask them to recalculate the new bill.

It's unfortunate you have it all in one go but I don't think there is much you can do about it.

Squidgey87

Hi rolling hills,

Thanks for your quick reply. Just so annoyed as I budget every month to make ends meet and if this bill had been switched to my name at the start like I had been advised it would be there would be no problem. Instead now I have five days to pay.

teddysmum

We pay our water bill by monthly direct debit, but I've a feeling that otherwise you pay in advance, so the bill you have is just catching up.

Squidgey87

teddysmum wrote: »

We pay our water bill by monthly direct debit, but I've a feeling that otherwise you pay in advance, so the bill you have is just catching up.

Yeah, if I could've had the option to pay month by month it would have been no issue. But he never switched it into my name, just everything else, and now ten months later I get a retrospective bill that I just cannot afford. Doesn't seem fair.

Rollinghills

We normally pay 1 year in advance. It is strange though that they didn't send you the bill last summer, you can ask them why and ask for extra time to pay due to this unexpected double bill. If you talk to them they may be understanding.

Squidgey87

Rollinghills wrote: »

We normally pay 1 year in advance. It is strange though that they didn't send you the bill last summer, you can ask them why and ask for extra time to pay due to this unexpected double bill. If you talk to them they may be understanding.

They never sent it as they had been sending to my landlord and he never gave them details until now. He said he had to sort the previous years bill first (2013) as it was unpaid.

I am only in the UK for three more months as I am moving back to my own country so I know I will not have to pay all of next year's, but I am still stuck paying ten months of water charges in a few days because my landlord never bothered to switch it to my name as he had a bill outstanding.

silvercar

Phone them up. You should be able to start a direct debit for the bill going forward, avoiding the need to pay next year's bill now.

Squidgey87

silvercar wrote: »

Phone them up. You should be able to start a direct debit for the bill going forward, avoiding the need to pay next year's bill now.

I won't be paying next year's bill in full in any case as I am moving out at the end of June when my lease is up

lxpeanut

Talk to the water company. Give them the date you moved in so they can calculate the right bill. If you cant pay in one lump sum they should be able to arrange a payment plan for the previous bill and allow direct debit payments for next years (so your only paying for the months you are there).

princeofpounds

if this bill had been switched to my name at the start like I had been advised

It's your bill and your name - you should have switched it. Never rely on someone else.