Account in Credit

SuperKenny

Hi, I wounder if anyone could apply some common sense here.

My water supplier (United Utilities) advise me that I am 240 pounds in Credit. I phoned them requesting the credit to be paid back. After 20 minutes discussing on the phone with United Utilities I gave up. The subject is totally confusing, somehow the "credit" does not seem to be a credit that I can access???

Could anyone provide a clear English explanation. Is a water company credit something that the consumer can request.

(On a side point I am 240 in credit but my bills are increasing from 38 to 42. When I ask why the credit cannot be used again the response is just confusing).

QrizB

I imagine the answer will be on your most recent water bill. It's likely that UU have taken your credit into account when calculating your new monthly payment.

Have you read it carefully? Does it explain this?

la531983

Suspect they calculate you will use £724 worth of water services in the next 12 months, based on prices over the next 12 months.

With your credit they only need £504 off you, so thats 12 x £42

My bills from a different water company explain this.

SuperKenny

My question is can I access the credit - get it paid back into my bank.

Regarding new payment, as stated above ….On a side point I am 240 in credit but my bills are increasing from 38 to 42. When I ask why the credit cannot be used again the response is just confusing.

la531983

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82018709#Comment_82018709

Does your annual summary not state how much they expect you to use in the next year? See my explanation above.

If they think you are going to be using £724 in the next year then no, thats not how it works and they are trying to do you a favour because if you get the £220 back you are just going to owe it again in a year.

If you are disputing their estimated usage for the next 12 months, thats a seperate conversation but you wont get the credit back, it would just be a lower DD.

SuperKenny

Thanks for the response. They provide an OnLine Account from this I can see our usage has been constant for the last 18 months (around 160 litres per day). We have been paying 38 and now 42.

Given our usage is constant how could they estimate 724 for the coming year?

la531983

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82018735#Comment_82018735

You tell me, I will post what mine looks like below.

I was £41 in credit, they think I am going to use £641 worth next year so therefore they need £600 off me (12 x £50).

Is there absolutely no explanation like this on your bill? Its irrelevant what you ACTUALLY used, payment plans like this are based on what they THINK you will use, that figure must be provided somewhere?

QrizB

My question is can I access the credit - get it paid back into my bank.

The short answer is no, you can't.

Regarding new payment, as stated above ….On a side point I am 240 in credit but my bills are increasing from 38 to 42.

As stated previously, if you look at your bill it will have all the details on it. See the example from la531983 above.

Rodders53

I'm currently £375.08 in credit with Anglian Water.

But the next bill is due this month (June) and expected to be circa £374, they say… If so they are darned accurate… and my credit will drop to around zero. Then it'll build up again until the next bill in a years time.

la531983

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82018767#Comment_82018767

Given the amounts he is quoting I suspect the OP is on a 12 monthly plan like in my example.

Rodders53

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82018769#Comment_82018769

As am I and the majority of folk, I suspect. ;)