Unfair bills

Fireflyaway

For years we received estimated bills at our old house. When we eventually did get an accurate reading it was way cheaper (about 5 times less).
I have asked by phone / email and letter why the calculations cant be applied to historic biils as I am convinced we were overpaying for years.
Our closing bill for the old place was adjusdted after I answered lots of questions about our useage and we were refunded £65 but this was only for the final bill.
My latest bill for our new house is £175 for 3 months. I'm convinced again its way too high. After 48 mins on the phone and getting nowhere, I have had enough.I even emailed the chief exec to no avail! The actual price isn't the issue, its the fairness I don't feel I'm getting.
What can I do? Should I phone through my own readings? Can I ask not to be metered? I'm so frustrated.

Robin9

You have answered your own question - take readings, phone them in or enter online. Check your bills.
Did you give readings when you moved in ?

Cardew

Firstly you cannot ask not to be metered.

You appear to think that an over-estimated meter reading means you will be over-charged. Although that will be the case at the time, subsequent correct meter readings will be lower and the final amount paid will be correct.

Taking your old house, although you were getting estimated bills, when you got a correct reading it would(should) have compensated for the earlier estimated readings. i.e. the consumption from an earlier actual meter reading to another actual reading will have accurately recorded your consumption and you will only pay for that amount of water/sewerage.

You should of course read your meter when you got your bill and, if the estimated meter reading was incorrect, phoned the company and give them the correct reading.

On your new house you don't say if the £175 bill is estimated or an actual reading. If incorrectly estimated, then give the company the correct reading.

If the bill is based on an actual reading, then it is easy to work out if £175 is correct.

If you post the name of the water company, the initial meter reading, and reading on the bill, someone here will calculate it for you. It will also help if you say how many people are in the house.

Fireflyaway

Cheers Robin9. Yes I did. I just don't get how the bills are so high. We are a 3 person household at work all day and barely even take baths at home (not because we don't wash - we train several times a week and so shower at the club !).
The customer service is useless. They all say different stuff. Oh how I wish I could change provider!

Fireflyaway

Thanks cardew the £175 is estimated again. The issue at the old place was I couldn't get to the meter . here I can once I work out which one it is. Will make it tomorrows job!

McKneff

Sorry but 175 for 3 months electricity is pretty cheap.
My hubby and I live in a semi, on our own and its roughly £80 pounds plus per month for gas and electricity.

Give them meter readings on the first of every month,

Fireflyaway

McKneff wrote: »

Sorry but 175 for 3 months electricity is pretty cheap.
My hubby and I live in a semi, on our own and its roughly £80 pounds plus per month for gas and electricity.

Give them meter readings on the first of every month,

Its not gas or electric its water. The bill would work out £58 a month which I feel is too much.

Robin9

My apologies for thinking it was a electricity / gas bill - you've clearly posted it under "water"

The comments re estimated readings still apply - hope you've managed to identify your meter today.

As Cardew has suggested - please post details of supplier and actual / estimated readings.

matelodave

If you've got a meter then it's easy to work out how much you are using, take the initial reading (the one you took when you moved in) away from the reading now and that will give you the number of cubic meters that you've used. Using the info on the water company's website (or your present bill) you can work out how much it should have cost.

All you have to do is tell the water co your present reading and get them to give you a revised bill.

If they are estimating your consumption and you aren't letting them know whether it's correct or not doesn't really equate to unfair billing. It should get adjusted when the meter gets read, usually once a year but more often if you do it yourself.

By reading the meter yourself you'll know actually how much water you use and can do something about reducing your consumption if you think it's too much.

McKneff

Misread, sorry

System

Fireflyaway wrote: »

Cheers Robin9. Yes I did. I just don't get how the bills are so high. We are a 3 person household at work all day and barely even take baths at home (not because we don't wash - we train several times a week and so shower at the club !).
The customer service is useless. They all say different stuff. Oh how I wish I could change provider!

Simple - you are not just paying for the water that you use. You are most likely paying for sewerage and for surface water drainage. You don't say which company supplies your property?
The location of your property and your supplier can make a lot of difference to the price that you pay.

It will soon be possible to change your 'supplier': in truth, this is nothing but a billing exercise that might save you a few £s per year. Your water will still come from the same source and down the same pipes.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/299993612/News/Latest%20news/Customers/Water%20charges/2016-17%20Water%20Bills.pdf