Thames Water Legal Advice - Request Account On Hold

Jono_56B

If there are any legal professionals or individuals who understand the murky arena of UK consumer law with regards to water suppliers. I would love to have your input.

I have a dispute with Thames Water who increased my water bill from around £40 in 2024 to around £140 now. I understand they have had two annual price increases since then, but that alone doesn't account for the increase once I did the maths. Anyway I haven't paid my recent bill until this issue is resolved and I have been hassled by constant calls from Thames Water collection.

I made a complaint yesterday and on their collection call to me today I requested the account to be put on hold following the outcome of the complaint - something every company has done in the past, and which is a fair and reasonable request.

They categorically refused to put the account on hold in ANY circumstance, they say this is their policy regardless of what the Consumer Council of Water says.

I've had business energy providers in the past who were more understanding than Thames Water. I just wanted to check whether this is legal and that something they are allowed to do? Blanked refusal to put accounts on hold under any circumstance, and to continue with enforcement and collection and hassling the customer.

And who feels this is a justifiable response and who feels this is outrageous?

Thanks in advance.

QrizB

I have a dispute with Thames Water who increased my water bill from around £40 in 2024 to around £140 now.

Water bills are generally transparent and straightforward to understand. What do your bills actually say? For example:

• Are you being billed based on rateable value (RV), metered usage or an assessment charge?
• If metered, are the meter readings correct? Has there been a significant increase in the volume of water used since 2023?
• Before the 2024 increase, was your account in credit or debit? How was the £140pm payment calculated on your 2024 bill?

I understand they have had two annual price increases since then, but that alone doesn't account for the increase once I did the maths.

What maths have you done? Can you share your workings here?

Jono_56B

I dont have the calculations to hand but the bill should have stabilised to around £80-90 with the two price increases.

But to be honest my issue isn't the maths, its the categorical removal to put an account on hold, even if it is in dispute or if there is a pending complaint. This is unusual and something I have never experienced.

Does anyone have any guidance on that specific point please? Thank you in advance.

QrizB

Pinging @fatbelly who frequents the DFW forum and is more likely to know about debt problems and "putting accounts on hold".

Isthisforreal99

So you expect to pay nothing till it"s resolved? Why not pay what you think you owe at least?

To me, nothing outrageous in their actions if you are choosing to pay nothing.

MattMattMattUK

First, your actual question, you have no legal right for your water bill to be put on hold, if you refuse to pay you will likely face debt recovery and the additional costs that brings. You might have had a chance if you had asked them to put it on hold before they tried to take payment/it was due, but the fact that you acted unilaterally means you will get nowhere with that.

The second part is your actual or perceived issue, you feel your water bills are too high. As QrizB points out that is not going to be a matter of opinion, it is a fact, either your bills are calculated incorrectly from your usage if you are on a meter, or they are not. Either your rateable value is being calculated incorrectly, or it is not, there is not any opinion there, there is just mathematical fact. When you say "I dont have the calculations to hand but the bill should have stabilised to around £80-90 with the two price increases.", what do you actually mean by that, are you applying some arbitrary average increase figures you have heard/seen reported, or have you calculated your bills based on your usage/rateable value? If they are correct as per the usage/rateable value then they are correct.

The only other reason for higher bills could be that you are metered and have a significant leak, if you have and that is showing on your meter then it means it is in your pipework, so almost certainly your issue to resolve, unless the meter is not on your land/property and the leak is in the pipe between the meter and your property boundary.