Thames water and council tenancy

[Deleted User]

Hello
Hope this is the right place.
When I became a council tenant, my water charges were included in my rent and I didn't need an account for a water company.

A few years back they transferred this for Thames Water and I had to create an account and direct debt of £40 a month however the rent or council tax was not reduced.
Only now I am starting to question this and will call the council on Monday, what I don't understand is - if the water was included on my rent before how come the rent remain the same since now I am paying my water direct to the provider?

I am with Wandsworth Council in London

CIS

Deleted_User said:

Only now I am starting to question this and will call the council on Monday, what I don't understand is - if the water was included on my rent before how come the rent remain the same since now I am paying my water direct to the provider?

It may simply be that the rent rise for the year was set to the same rate so it cancelled out the decrease. Council Tax has nothing to do with the water side so would never be altered. Only the council can confirm exactly what has happened.

spiro

With my local council water is normally included with rent but you have the option to have your own contract direct with the water company. If you do that you need to set up an account with the water company and once that is done and you confirm that with them they adjust your rent accordingly. 

macman

Very unlikely that the rent increase for that year was as much as £40pm, so I'd certainly have queried this at the time with the LA.
This has happened in many London boroughs recently and is normally following compulsory metering which TW has introduced recently.
As pointed out above, it has no bearing on your CT, which has never had a water component in England.

pokora

Did they recently install a meter ?

Council tax has gone up this year almost every borough, compare your current annual statement with last year to check if they rise or reduce any discount.