Large Credit on Water Bill but Water Co refuses cash refund

makingtrails

My and my partner moved into a small 2 bedroomed flat back in June 2014 and I swiftly contacted my local water company to arrange setting up my bill. The customer advisor told me that as I didn't have a water meter it would be £77.30 per month. I then contacted my landlord and asked if I could have a water meter installed. They advised me that I couldn't have one because it had been previously refused by the water company. So I carried on paying my £77.30 per month thinking there was nothing I could do.

In March 2015 I got a water bill for £990.04. After speaking to another resident in the same block of flats I was advised that it should be half that. So I again contacted my local water company who after properly investigated my account found that the property had been refused a water meter and moved me to an "assessed charge". Because of this I I was due a large credit as I had been overpaying. My revised bill including my overpayments was now £276.43, a massive difference from £990.04

So, I phoned them up today as I wish to be refunded for all my overpayments (£200+) however they have refused me a cash refund because of their billing system won't let them.

What are my rights here?

footyguy

makingtrails wrote: »

My and my partner moved into a small 2 bedroomed flat back in June 2014 and I swiftly contacted my local water company to arrange setting up my bill. The customer advisor told me that as I didn't have a water meter it would be £77.30 per month. I then contacted my landlord and asked if I could have a water meter installed. They advised me that I couldn't have one because it had been previously refused by the water company. So I carried on paying my £77.30 per month thinking there was nothing I could do.

In March 2015 I got a water bill for £990.04. After speaking to another resident in the same block of flats I was advised that it should be half that. So I again contacted my local water company who after properly investigated my account found that the property had been refused a water meter and moved me to an "assessed charge". Because of this I I was due a large credit as I had been overpaying. My revised bill including my overpayments was now £276.43, a massive difference from £990.04

So, I phoned them up today as I wish to be refunded for all my overpayments (£200+) however they have refused me a cash refund because of their billing system won't let them.

What are my rights here?

I suggest you follow the suppliers complaint procedure

Edit: Btw, which water supplier charges almost £1000 a year for an unmetered supply to a 2 bed flat? :eek:
I know someone with a 3 bed semi, and I'm sure they only pay £300-£400 a year for an unmetered supply. I think that's with Severn Trent.

jbainbridge

Then http://www.ccwater.org.uk/adviceandcomplaints/

Cardew

Which water company are you with? and what was the Rateable Value(RV) of the flat on the £990.04 bill.


Was the previous tenant paying charges based on the RV or an assessed charge?


The normal position is that you have to apply for a water meter in order to start the process to get an assessed charge. The difficulty in putting a new occupant immediately onto an assessed charge is that the charge can vary with the number of occupants e.g. the previous occupant could have been just one person and you are a couple.


I assume that the bill for £276.43 is the total bill for 01/04/15 to 31/03/16(taking into account your overpayments prior to 01/04/15)? If so that sum is due payment now. We all have to pay in advance for the year ahead - like Council Tax) However water companies(and Councils) let most customers pay monthly by DD or in two instalments.


I assume your request was to have £200 cash refunded and then continue paying by monthly DD?


The difficulty as I see it is that you have no credit for the water company to refund. You actually owe them £276.43 for the year 2015/16.

makingtrails

footyguy wrote: »

I suggest you follow the suppliers complaint procedure

Edit: Btw, which water supplier charges almost £1000 a year for an unmetered supply to a 2 bed flat? :eek:
I know someone with a 3 bed semi, and I'm sure they only pay £300-£400 a year for an unmetered supply. I think that's with Severn Trent.

Thanks for your kind reply.

South West Water is my supplier, the most expensive in the country, so expensive the government have to subsidise it!

Here's a breakdown

Usage Charge £132 x 1.4738 - £194.54
Fixed Charge - £147.25
Sewage £132 x 3.0326 - £400.30
Fixed Charge £143.35
Government Contribution - £50 CR

Total £835.44

Excisiting Balance was £154.60 (2 x £77.30) for the last two months of the year so £990.04. The bill was issued 2 months early.

They definitely got my bill wrong even though I challenged it back when I originally moved in. If the person who I originally spoke to did their research I wouldn't of been overcharged at all.

makingtrails

Cardew wrote: »

The difficulty as I see it is that you have no credit for the water company to refund. You actually owe them £276.43 for the year 2015/16.

Thanks for your kind reply

I do see your point but obviously it wasn't my intention to pay so much of my 2015/16 balance off so quickly. It's almost like they made a mistake (originally overcharging me), I paid more to them putting me out of pocket for several months and when they rectify their mistake they just knock it off next years bill because I have to pay it anyway. A choice would be been nice but that option was never given to me.

Cardew

Why are you paying a surface water charge in a flat?


The assessed charge for 2 persons for 2015/16 is £529.60.(less £50 from Government). They have reduced that to £276.43 by subtracting the credit balance built up in year 2014/15.


So you don't have any credit balance on the water bill, as the thread title suggests, you are in debt to the tune of £276.43.


Edit: Posts crossed

Cardew

As I said earlier, there are 3 different rates of assessed charge, single occupant, two occupants, and multi person occupancy. They have no idea which applied to you.


However I would certainly query why you are being charged for surface water in a flat; it costs an extra £41 pa see:


http://www.southwestwater.co.uk/media/pdf/i/g/Household_Charges_Scheme_2015-2016.pdf


You can also pay off your £276.43 by dd over the year.

makingtrails

Cardew wrote: »

Why are you paying a surface water charge in a flat?


The assessed charge for 2 persons for 2015/16 is £529.60.(less £50 from Government). They have reduced that to £276.43 by subtracting the credit balance built up in year 2014/15.


So you don't have any credit balance on the water bill, as the thread title suggests, you are in debt to the tune of £276.43.


Edit: Posts crossed

Why are you paying a surface water charge in a flat? - I didn't even know I was being charged for surface water. There is no mention of this on my bill. Just water charges & sewage charges.

So you don't have any credit balance on the water bill, as the thread title suggests, you are in debt to the tune of £276.43. - I have no quarrels in being in debt to £276.43. I just want the choice between either paying £276.43 (£27.64 per month) or £529.60 (£52.96 per month) and being refunded the £250.17 that I had overpaid. Pretty sure if I was £250 the other way they would be knocking on my door.

I think I'm just going to complain about being misbilled in the first place and take it from there. I know £250 might not seem much for alot of people but to me it's another bill that could of been paid.

Thanks for your replies.

makingtrails

The amended bill for 2015/16 is this

Water - Two Person Assessed Charge 213.30
Sewage - Two Person Assessed Charge 316.30

Government Credit -50.00

So I should dispute the £316.30 as it should be £275.30?

Thank you!

deanos

When the previous occupier moved out the assessed charge would have stopped and gone back on to RV , when you first called the water company did you ask them for a water meter ? or did you just go back to your landlord who said it wasn't possible then wait until March to contact the water co again ?