Severn Trent - Pressuring to pay full years bill.

Crazykitties

My partner has received a phonecall today from STW (although was unsure if it was a scam to start). The lady was basically stating because we were late paying our first half year installment that we had to pay the full years bill either in full or set up an installment plan. My partner came to me to check that we had paid the first half year (April-Oct) which I said we had. The lady kept saying because we were late paying it that we would have to pay the whole year in full. I said we have paid the first half which should take us to October and that we have had nothing in writing saying that we were liable to pay the full year. She said 'I have to inform you as you may be liable for debt collection etc. I found it very pressuring and said we would be making a complaint to which she quickly ended the call. I called STW and the call handler was very good and said he would reset our account so next payment wasnt due till October, however he did say that due to their new system, if the first half year payment isnt paid on 1st April, it goes down as late payment and automatically reverts to customers having to pay the full year bill. I expressed my anger at the pressurised nature of the call and how some people may feel pressurised into paying out money that they shouldnt have to pay and we were unsure if it was a scam due to the pressurised nature of it. We have never had this before with STW. The call handler said he would feed it back. Has anyone else had similar? If anyone does have a call, then phone STW and they can reset the account so you dont pay till October. Dont be pressurised into paying your money in advance for the year. Its totally shocking!

Boohoo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6676318/severn-trent-pressuring-to-pay-full-years-bill

Wall of text is too hard to read.

Break it into paragraphs.

fatbelly

Are you still paying on a rateable value basis? Would you not consider a meter?

QrizB

Welcome to the forum!

My partner has received a phonecall today from STW (although was unsure if it was a scam to start). The lady was basically stating because we were late paying our first half year installment that we had to pay the full years bill either in full or set up an installment plan.

As asked above, are you billed based on rateable value (RV)? Or on an assessed charge (AC)? I think RV and AC accounts are the only ones billed annually by default.

On a meter, you're generally billed every six months and can pay on receipt of bill or pay a monthly budget amount (a bit like a gas or electricity bill). And most people pay quite a lot less on a meter.

Crazykitties

We are on RV and have always paid in the two 6 month payments (April-Oct and Oct-April). We have never had anything like this. We have done a calculator to go onto meter but think we may end up paying more. We feel it is designed to pressure us into monthly direct debit but from what we have seen with overcharging on direct debits rather than paying for what we use, we dont want to.

fatbelly

Set up a standing order for a monthly amount that covers the half-yearly bill and ignore all the complaining letters.

I would be really surprised if a meter does not save money. Is there a reason why you are a high user like a leaky swimming pool or something?

p00hsticks

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82070665#Comment_82070665

If you are on RV then isn't what you pay independent of what you actually use ? So the monthly direct debit would simply be a twelfth of the annual bill as calculated on the rateable value …. I could understand your reluctance to switch to a monthly DD if you were metered, but not when you are paying what is effectively a fixed sum.

Robin9

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82070665#Comment_82070665

I have found STWA's monthly DD estimates very accurate. Just had my last bill - £4 in credit. My DD for the next year has actually gone down. Estimated at £480 for the year - what's your RV based bill?

Since I had meter my consumption has fallen from 110 m3 to 75 m3 . 2 person household in 3 bed house

Crazykitties

My main point of my original post was the pushy nature of STW, demanding for us to pay the full years bill due to us being slightly late off paying on 1st April. Which surely isnt right?!

The fact that they only contacted us by phone regarding it, when they had not sent anything in writing and nothing stating on yearly bill anything about being liable to pay in full, if you dont pay first 6 month installment on 1st April. With the huge increases in water bills we may consider going to monthly DD.

Our bill is just over £800 for the year. I used the calculator on the CCW website and it said on a meter we could be paying £1200. We are in a 3 bed terraced with 4 people (2×adults,2xteenagers).

It says on our STW account that we have doubled our water usage in the last 6 months compared to previous 6 months. Im guessing they take this from the roadside meters? We havent changed anything in our property apart from new shower room (no bath anymore). We are refurbing the whole house, so dont have lots of water usage items currently like dishwasher ect. We do use washing machine once or twice a day. We have a guest toilet and main bathroom toilet....and no we dont have a swimming pool or hot tub (as soneone above asked). We have water butts for collecting rainwater(when we get it) mainly used to water garden plants.

It says we currently use 500L a day, 90,000L in last 6 months (Feb-July). 6 months previous (Aug 25 -Jan26) we used 48,000L.

Dont understand how our water usage could have doubled?? Does this sound about right for average usage?

Thanks all!

QrizB

I used the calculator on the CCW website and it said on a meter we could be paying £1200. We are in a 3 bed terraced with 4 people (2×adults,2xteenagers).

£1200 seems quite a lot.

We're a 3-bed semi with 4 people (two adults, two university-age "kids") and we're paying about £60 a month, on average. We're not STW, though, were a bit further south.

We use about 250 litres a day (sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less).