Yorkshire Water charges

delphine22

Hi, I need some help understanding Yorkshire Water charges! I moved into my property with another friend last October, at the start of the academic year - we are both students - and at that time we were told by one of the previous residents that they didn't remember having to pay any water bills while staying there, so I assumed that it was covered by my landlady as part of the rent.

Lately though I received a form from Yorkshire Water asking me to update my personal and direct debit details, and I asked my landlady about it, and she confirmed that indeed I would have to settle the bill with them. So far so good, I don't mind paying water bills if it is my responsibility to do so... but I rang Yorkshire Water this morning and was told that the charge from October 2007 would be something like £245!

How is this calculated? As far as I know, our property doesn't have a water meter. I am not ordinarily from the UK and I have never paid any water bills here before, so I have no idea if that is standard, but it strikes me as very high (it is roughly equivalent to what we have paid for gas and electricity combined since we moved in - we are not very high users of utilities as you can see which is why I am even more confused about the high water charge). As all along I've been under the mistaken impression that my landlady covers water bills I obviously haven't budgeted for having to fork out an extra ~£125 for them now and my finances are running very tight.

Is there any chance at all that this could be some mistake? Are they billing me for an entire year's billing cycle? I am actually moving out of this house at the end of July... is there any way to get them to pro-rate the bill? Thanks for any help!

mech_2

Hi. Water and sewage services certainly aren't cheap. The bill is unlikely to be a mistake if you are not on a meter. I'm afraid I can't answer many of your questions, but properties without a meter are billed according to the "rateable value" assigned to the property. Rather than try to explain this myself I will just provide a link to the regulating body's website:

http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/aptrix/ofwat/publish.nsf/Content/how_are_water_charges_calculated

Cardew

If you are not metered then they normally bill you for a year in advance from the April to the April.

So you are liable for the 6 months of the 2007/8 bill from Oct 2007(when you moved in) to April 2008, and for 4 months of the 2008/2009 year.(April to July)

You need to see the bills for last year(2007/8) and this year(2008/9) to find out exactly what you owe.

I would cancel any Direct Debit now and pay simply what you owe.

delphine22

Thanks Cardew and mech. I must admit I'm rather horrified that the bill is that expensive (somehow I'd had the impression that water would be the cheapest of all my utilities), but if it's unlikely to be a mistake then there's really not much I can do.

I had the niggling feeling that a Direct Debit wouldn't be the best way to settle this since I am moving out in July anyway and would have to cancel it then... but the lady on the Yorkshire Water customer helpline simply barrelled ahead and asked for my bank account details, and I was too much in confusion at that point to really understand what was best for me to do. I will ring them again once I receive a detailed bill to find out if I can cancel the DD and pay a lump sum. Thanks for the advice!

By the way, just wondering - in that case is it likely that the ~£245 I am being quoted is the amount I am liable for during these 10 months, rather than a full April - April billing cycle? I told the Yorkshire Water lady exactly when I moved in and will be moving out before she gave me this figure.

Cardew

delphine22 wrote: »

Thanks Cardew and mech. I must admit I'm rather horrified that the bill is that expensive (somehow I'd had the impression that water would be the cheapest of all my utilities), but if it's unlikely to be a mistake then there's really not much I can do.

I had the niggling feeling that a Direct Debit wouldn't be the best way to settle this since I am moving out in July anyway and would have to cancel it then... but the lady on the Yorkshire Water customer helpline simply barrelled ahead and asked for my bank account details, and I was too much in confusion at that point to really understand what was best for me to do. I will ring them again once I receive a detailed bill to find out if I can cancel the DD and pay a lump sum. Thanks for the advice!

By the way, just wondering - in that case is it likely that the ~£245 I am being quoted is the amount I am liable for during these 10 months, rather than a full April - April billing cycle? I told the Yorkshire Water lady exactly when I moved in and will be moving out before she gave me this figure.

Don't ask Yorkshire Water about the DD - ring your bank and cancel it - follow it up in writing. It is your money and your bank.

Ring Yorkshire Water and tell them you have cancelled the DD and will pay what you owe for the 10 months.

The problem is that your DD might be used to pay the previous occupants water bill. They will also probably be basing the DD on the full year ahead(to April 2009).

There is absolutely no way of us telling what the £245 is for - some properties pay less than £100pa(normally small old terraced house) other over £1000pa.

Get a bill and post details on here for advice.