Has anyone reverted back to unmetered/rateable charging after meter fitted?

QrizB

Rateable value is the hypothetical annual rent for your property in 1970-something. It's entirely separate from your Council Tax band, which relates to the national value of your property in 1990-something.

So your house would have cost £262 a year to rent back at some point in the 1970s.

The "rate" is the amount that Ofwat allows your water company to charge you, per year, for each £ of rateable value. Before Council Tax (and before the Community Charge) your local council would have charged you "rates" calculated in the same way.

Ant555

Thanks QrizB ^^ - I thought it was something like that but am finding it incredibly difficult to find out if the rates are correct or not  (At least Council tax, I can see what band I am in and compare it to my neighbours)

My worry was that the online account with UU showed the number of people in my household listed as 7 Seven (its never been more than 4, currently 3)  so I wondered if that error may have affected their calculations for years.

akwexavante

I live alone in a small two-bed house with a 1/2 acre garden and a large pond, tax band A and i paid a single payment for the year 25/26 of £397.  That's £33 a month.  If i didn't have the garden and a pond and i was very careful i possibly may be able to break even, no idea.

I would be barking mad to go for a water meter.  I'm told i can't have a water meter at this time because of the way the water is supplied to a block of 5. None of us can have a meter fitted, apparently. I live in an end terrace and the supply comes in from next door, underfloor

If for some future reason Yorkshire Water decide to re hash the pipework allowing for the compulsory fitting of meters, i'll opt out the same day it's fitted.

Lorian

Ant555 said:

Thanks QrizB ^^ - I thought it was something like that but am finding it incredibly difficult to find out if the rates are correct or not  (At least Council tax, I can see what band I am in and compare it to my neighbours)

My worry was that the online account with UU showed the number of people in my household listed as 7 Seven (its never been more than 4, currently 3)  so I wondered if that error may have affected their calculations for years.

The number of people has no effect if you are billed base on rateable value. It would do if you apply for a meter and get put on assessed charges until the meter is fitted, but when I recently applied for a meter my supplier asked for the details to work out the assessed charge as part of the process, including number of occupants. The assessed charge is much lower than the rateable charge due to my circumstances.

Back to the original point, I'm very mindful of being able to switch back in 24 months, I'll be taking monthly readings to work this out. Given the choice I'd stay on assessed charge but that is not possible. 

There is also a clause that says I can't switch back to be based on rateable  if I've ever been on assessed charge but they would never make that stick as they moved me to assessed due to the three month wait for a meter 

akwexavante

When i moved into my house and contacted Yorkshire Water, they told me i couldn't have a water meter.

They specifically asked me how many people are living at the address.  On my 3rd year, Yorkshire Water specifically asked again in writing if the house was still "Single Occupancy".

So it must influence billing.

freesha

akwexavante said:

When i moved into my house and contacted Yorkshire Water, they told me i couldn't have a water meter.

They specifically asked me how many people are living at the address.  On my 3rd year, Yorkshire Water specifically asked again in writing if the house was still "Single Occupancy".

So it must influence billing.

Only if on assessed - there is a 'single occupier assessed charge'. If any more than one person, it is standard assessed. RV is not influenced by number of occupiers at all.

akwexavante

So in my case, RV is used as a starting point for assessing billing, but occupancy is taken into consideration too?

Single occupancy, giving me an additional discount?

freesha

RV has nothing to do with assessed. Assessed is based on the size of your property (detached, semi, flat). There is an additional discount on each of these if you are a single occupier.

akwexavante

Thank you for clearing that one up.  I'll avoid the water meter like the plague.  I hope Yorkshire Water never decide to re hash the pipework on our block of terraced houses and force water meters on us.

freesha

Nothing wrong with a water meter. Pay for what you use. No one seems to have issues doing that with gas/electric, so why water?