Waste water charging.

Boohoo

I have had a water meter for just over a year and was meant to be for trial/comparison before permanent move to metered usage.

Affinity put me straight to a metered usage after 8 months starting early this year saying It was cheaper than fixed tariff.

Yesterday I got my 2nd bill from them and I noticed the waste water usage is the same as the water we have used.

I thought there was a reduced amount for waste water like 90% but not 100% because all that people use from tap or toilet doesn't all go down the sewers.

My water company is Affinity but they usually Thames water for waste water charging.

Are all water firms the same at 100% waste water charging?

Keep_pedalling

The charge will be based on the amount of water you use, because there is no meter on your sewer. The amount you pay however takes into account that a percentage of the amount your household consumes is not returned via the drains. 

Boohoo

Keep_pedalling said:

The charge will be based on the amount of water you use, because there is no meter on your sewer. The amount you pay however takes into account that a percentage of the amount your household consumes is not returned via the drains. 

Thanks.

Not sure what you mean by "takes into account" as I used  8 cubic meters and was was charged that and the waste charge was for 8 cubic meters going into the sewers.

[Deleted User]

Anglian Water charge at 90%. However, this is completely arbitrary. It doesn't make a jot of difference to the cost whether they assume 90% and charge a slightly higher price per m3 or 100% and charge a slightly lower price per m3. The final cost is set by the regulator. The only difference is how it's presented on the bills etc.

It's a bit like comparing costs by comparing discounts. £100 with 50% discount costs the same as £50 with no discount. The only difference is the presentation.

Sledger

when you buy a property, unlike electricity and gas you have no Choice but to apply to a water Company which in my case on the river Thames in Wraysbury was Affinity although many Thames reservoirs were on my doorstep. I applied for a water meter and paid by direct debit in 2014 and paid little attention to the bills until somebody made me aware many years later that if no roof rain water discharged to the Foul waste water you were entitled to a reduced charge. I then looked at the bill and noted Affinity meter reading was for clean water only but Affinity Billed on Thames behalf for waste water where 100% of the Affinity Meter Reading was paid to Thames Water. Upon further investigation I established Thames water £RATE on metered readings included a 90% discount for water ie watering gardens, car washing jet blasting etc that never entered Thames foul waste water but no mention of Rainwater. Further investigation established the rainwater discount was reduced from the Thames water fixed Charge by about 50% . Other Thames charges do no apply if your foul water goes to a cesspit or soakaway but unless you are aware and apply you will be billed 100% of he meter reading. Other discounts are if you are a single pensioner with a income less than £19,900/annum a 50% of your Thames foul water is discounted. There is NO TRANSPARENCY on these discounts from these 3rd parties like Affinty who bill along with other 3rd parties who bill for Thames that 100% of the 15 million Thames household roof waste water goes to to Thames foul water until you advise otherwise. I applied to Affinity who bill me for Thames foul water that none of my Rainwater enters Thames Foul water and to credit my account . Affinty the billing party stated I must apply to Thames which I questioned as Thames were a ghost and for Affinity to coordinate with Thames . That went nowhere and had to apply to Thames who accepted my Rainwater claim but would only backdate it 6 years. I rejected that since Thames were made fully aware that none of my Rainwater entered their foul water so Thames were affectively in receipt of funds and by not returning it is affectively obtaining money under misrepresentation which is a Criminal offence. Affinity however Paid me back to when I applied for the meter but have no feedback if it was deducted from their Thames payments. I recently applied for the household Income less than £19,900 and it was applied from the date of application not from when it came into affect which I am currently challenging. I lifted some heavy manholes and established only my WC enters Thames Foul water the rest goes to a cesspit and applied to Thames for a discount stating I am paying no more foul waste water water to Affinity until Thames act on my complaint. This is a huge scandal as these Thames 3rd Party billing on their behalf with NO TRANSPARENCY bill by default that all the 15 million households Roof rainwater goes to Thames foul water which Thames network cannot cope with the sheer volume and take the easy option for decades of discharging it into he River Thames causing environmental Havoc. Are Thames managing this roof rainwater ? Absolutely Not they cannot even advise what percentage of the15 million households roof rainwater ACTUALLY enters the Foul waste water and don't care as the Thames focus is £££ where the bulk of15 million households are unaware and bills get paid by direct Debit without question.

Thames are not manging roof rainwater causing havoc of 15 million household where many enter Thames foul waste water but elect to mismanage it for £££ by using these 3rd party buffers who have no involvement in foul waste water disposal other than billing on Thames behalf. Thames could readily reduce the significant amount of these 15 Million roof rainwater households entering their foul water by simply getting households who's roof act as an umbrella on part of their land and cut off the gutter downpipe at ground level allowing it to divert over ground where it would have gone had the house not been there instead of the unknown where it goes underground. What have Thames done on this for Decades? absolutely nothing.

QrizB

That post might've been better on the "Vents" board.

Sledger

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81928668#Comment_81928668

QrizB Not sure thats related to my Post??? If so not sure what "Vents " is can you clarify as not good at navigating this site

MattMattMattUK

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81941417#Comment_81941417

Praise, rants and warnings.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/praise-vent-warnings

matelodave

A paragraph or two would make it much easier to read than a solid wall of text. TBH I couldn't be bothered to try

greyteam1959

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81942627#Comment_81942627

Same here

dunstonh

I asked AI to summarise that post. It said:

It is mainly a vent, but it does contain some potentially useful pointers.

Why it reads as a vent

• The post is long, emotional, and framed as a “huge scandal”, with strong language about mismanagement, environmental havoc and focus on “£££”, which fits the forum’s “Praise, Vent & Warnings” style.

What useful information it contains

• It highlights that:
  • Roof rainwater not entering the foul sewer can qualify for a reduced wastewater charge.
  • Properties on cesspits/soakaways may be overcharged unless they tell the water company.
  • There may be low‑income or pensioner wastewater discounts that are not well publicised.