Reclaim part of your water rates

Middlers

I was interested to learn that all homes in the UK are charged for taking away rainwater which drains from our roofs irrespective of whether the down pipes are connected to the mains drains or just soakaways. If the water goes to soakaways you can reclaim the £20 charge for this year and reduce subsequent bills by £20 per annum. The water boards do not broadcast this fact. I rang my water board this morning and low and behold the water board replied 'We will check the plans we have for your house and if the water goes to soakaways you will get the reduction'. Go on people get some money back:T

Thomas99

Middlers wrote: »

I was interested to learn that all homes in the UK are charged for taking away rainwater which drains from our roofs irrespective of whether the down pipes are connected to the mains drains or just soakaways. If the water goes to soakaways you can reclaim the £20 charge for this year and reduce subsequent bills by £20 per annum. The water boards do not broadcast this fact. I rang my water board this morning and low and behold the water board replied 'We will check the plans we have for your house and if the water goes to soakaways you will get the reduction'. Go on people get some money back:T

So, what's a "soakaway"?

vikingaero

Thomas99 wrote: »

So, what's a "soakaway"?

A pit filled with rubble/hardcore that absorbs and diffuses the water into the surrounding ground.

Primrose

Yes, Middlers, you are correct. A couple of years ago I spotted some very tiny print about this on the back of our Water Rates bill, and when I contacted the Water Board, they admitted that our house was covered by this clause, and since then our water rates have been reduced accordingly.
We also have four water butts but alas are allowed no reductions for saving water even though we're not on a water meter, but this is another argument altogether.

Middlers

Yippee, just been awarded my rebate.

bizywizy

Does anyone know an easy way of finding out if house uses soakaways rather than enters main drains.

i understand we have to prove the case before getting discount.

I am in a new house - 2004.

Any advice greatfully received.

Bizy
x

Mikeyorks

Covered in Martin's article on the main site :

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/cut-water-bills

..(the bit 'are you a light sewerage user') Also discussed many times in the Water section of the Utilities forum (which is where this thread should have been placed?)

jlwhite

I'm just looking into this for my Mum & Dad who have had a soakaway for about 20 years (they put it in themselves when doing building work). Will the water company (Anglian Water) backdate this and give them a rebate for all the years they have paid this.

Does this discount appear on the bill, just in case they are already getting the discount without realising it?

dzug

jlwhite wrote: »

I'm just looking into this for my Mum & Dad who have had a soakaway for about 20 years (they put it in themselves when doing building work). Will the water company (Anglian Water) backdate this and give them a rebate for all the years they have paid this.

Does this discount appear on the bill, just in case they are already getting the discount without realising it?

I think it unlikely that it will be backdated - not very far anyway.

The discount doesn't appear on the bill as such. It will appear as the absence of an item called 'surface water drainage'. Well that's the case with Severn Trent anyway.

jlwhite

Just checked the bill and it says under sewerage charges foul & surface water so they should be able to claim.

dzug

bizywizy wrote: »

Does anyone know an easy way of finding out if house uses soakaways rather than enters main drains.

i understand we have to prove the case before getting discount.

I am in a new house - 2004.

Any advice greatfully received.

Bizy
x

Find and lift a manhole cover on your property

Pour a bucket of water into the gutter.

See if it flows through the drain.

Or ask your builder.

But note that if your water from your driveway runs off onto a road with public drains, then strictly you are not entitled to the discount, even if all the roof water goes into soakaways. How rigidly they enforce this I don't know.