Water bill liability 4 January 2021 at 12:59PM in Water bills 21 replies 461 views

Conor40

Hi MSE,

Hoping someone can advise me with a water bill.

I have an assured tenancy agreement with a housing association since year 2000. It states water and sewerage charges are part of the weekly payments for the property. I do not have a water meter, I believe it is a shared system between our block of flats.

I have this year received a bill from Thames water, some £309 from April 2020 to March 2021. I have never set up an account with Thames water and have always paid my water rates with my rent to my landlord / the housing association.

My question is :  Am I liable for this water bill from Thames water? 

Thanks in advance.

freesha

The consumer is always liable for water used, unless they can prove otherwise. Send a copy of your tenancy agreement to TW.

Conor40

Thanks Freesha, I understand I am liable for water used but if my payments for water rates are going to my landlord as per my tenancy agreement, then surely I should not have to pay this bill / I am not liable for this bill ?

Conor40

Cant edit apologies : It's because Thames water are threatening with notice of further action within 28 days. I have in writing told them the above re: tenancy agreement but they have ignored it and continued to chase me for it.

freesha

Sorry, I meant the consumer will always be BILLED unless they can prove otherwise that they shoudn't be. You need to send them a copy of your TA - otherwisre they will just say "yes you are" when you say you;re not supposed to be billed.

Conor40

Ok I'll get onto them again, Its the first time i have been billed in 20 years of living here. Never a peep about a bill from Thames water in all this time.

tim_p

Maybe a phone call to someone at the HA to see if they can shed any light on it too. 

Cardew

When you say 'I do not have a water meter, I believe it is a shared system between our block of flats.' do you mean that there is a single meter for the whole block?

Thames Water have started to make meters compulsory and could it be something to do with that situation? If properties cannot be individually metered - as is often the case in blocks of flats - an 'assessed' charge is made.

Can you post exactly what charges are on the bill please. Does it say based on Rateable Value(RV) or Assessed?

Have the other flats received the same bill?

Either way it is still an issue for you to sort out between you and HA.

Conor40

Cardew said:

When you say 'I do not have a water meter, I believe it is a shared system between our block of flats.' do you mean that there is a single meter for the whole block?

Thames Water have started to make meters compulsory and could it be something to do with that situation? If properties cannot be individually metered - as is often the case in blocks of flats - an 'assessed' charge is made.

Can you post exactly what charges are on the bill please. Does it say based on Rateable Value(RV) or Assessed?

Have the other flats received the same bill?

Either way it is still an issue for you to sort out between you and HA.

Im not sure if there is a meter for the whole block, I will try and find out and if anyone else has received. On the bill its says "as you don't have a water meter, we've worked out your bill using your property chargeable value"

Carrot007

Have you passed on the bill to the HA to pay? Obiously change in procedure seems to mean TW have forgotton who pays. Sending the HA the bill should sort it.

However ultimatly you are responsiblr if the HA refuses to pay it. Though in that case you woul;d take action against them.

Cardew

Conor40 said:

Cardew said:

When you say 'I do not have a water meter, I believe it is a shared system between our block of flats.' do you mean that there is a single meter for the whole block?

Thames Water have started to make meters compulsory and could it be something to do with that situation? If properties cannot be individually metered - as is often the case in blocks of flats - an 'assessed' charge is made.

Can you post exactly what charges are on the bill please. Does it say based on Rateable Value(RV) or Assessed?

Have the other flats received the same bill?

Either way it is still an issue for you to sort out between you and HA.

Im not sure if there is a meter for the whole block, I will try and find out and if anyone else has received. On the bill its says "as you don't have a water meter, we've worked out your bill using your property chargeable value"

I have never heard the term property 'chargeable value'. Are you sure it is not 'Rateable Value'? or assessed charge?

How is the Charge made up on the bill?