MSE News: Anglian Water SoLow customer? It's axing the tariff meaning bill hikes

redfox · 20 March 2015 at 8:56PM

CitySlicker wrote: »

so I can decide whether to escalate your position to the Consumer Council for Water.

I already have done this because AW also told me today that they do not accept complaints about policy decisions!

Sadly I don't think you will get very far with that complaint to them as they don't seem to care one little bit. They have the arrogance of being in a position of power and monopoly, a true like it or lump it attitude :mad:

The more of that 300,000 that complain to the CCW the more they may take notice.

redfox · 20 March 2015 at 9:10PM

MSE_Paloma wrote:

"However SoLow customers are already on a water meter so they can't save by switching to a meter. The only way they may save is to switch to another Anglian tariff.
It's new means-assessed Lite tariff for those who are struggling to pay, launches from 1 April. You can't apply for this tariff until then, but you can register your interest by completing an online form on its website.
Anglian Water also offers a WaterSure tariff for those claiming certain benefits and those with a medical condition, otherwise there's also its AquaCare tariff for those claiming certain benefits.
Anglian adds: "Alternative tariffs are available"

But that's nonsense, there aren't! The only two alternative tariffs are the Lite and the AquaCare, which are both tariffs for specific groups of people - neither of which I fall into (and I'm sure not many of the current SoLow users do either)

SoLow was designed for low water users, not those on a low income or benefits, so there are no alternative tariffs available to fill the void they have created by removing the SoLow tariff.

robin58 · 21 March 2015 at 1:07AM

Well I live in Essex.

I live in south east of the county.

My water is supplied by Essex & Suffolk.

But my sewage and rain water is taken away by Anglian Water.

So I will get a standing order from Essex & Suffolk and now Anglian.

I will be doubly shafted .

My sewage removal by Anglian will treble at least and I will have to pay their cubic water rate on top of this as well !!!!

Thieving Barstewards.

And Anglian Water is the company who had failed to keep up with standards on Southend on sea seafront which has flooded twice in the last two years. Go and look on Youtube at the mess.

UPDATE.

Just found one of my bills. In the last year I paid £23.97 in total on Solow.

When fully implemented I will be paying £86 standing order charge plus about £18 for the cubic water wastage.

So I will be £80 worse OFF but with no service gain.

robin58 · 21 March 2015 at 1:39AM

Well I will be paying 2 bills!

One to Essex & Suffolk for water supply and now an even bigger one to Anglian to take the !!!!! away.

I can't change to any other saving tariffs as I straddle two companies

Ken68 · 21 March 2015 at 11:06AM

£100 pa I have to find extra, maybe less to charity, another option is to switch energy suppliers more often to get the commission, sell my body perhaps lol.

rebeccaj · 22 March 2015 at 8:49PM

grrrr, big increase for me too. I really don't know how they can get away with imposing these big increases on customers.

Off to hit the complaint form. The more, the merrier (or effective, hopefully)

Nada666 · 22 March 2015 at 9:27PM

There are millions of low using customers all around Britain who have never had access to such a generous subsidy. It is unpleasant for those affected but you have at least had a bargain for many years.

Welcome to the rest of Britain where water bills can be twice as expensive as your electricity bill and four times your gas bill.

At least many of you still have access to a metered portion that you have some control over.

daz200 · 22 March 2015 at 9:52PM

This is my response to Anglian Water:

I was very disappointed to learn that the Solow is being withdrawn from customers currently on a tariff which encourages households to save water. This withdrawal seems to be inconsistent with your claim of ‘Supporting water efficiency in homes and businesses’. With a low standing charge, the Solow tariff gives households keen to reduce their water use the greatest control over their water bill and encourages water efficiency.

'[Metering] It is a fair way to pay for water, in that customers pay for what they use, and it introduces a financial incentive to save water. Metering can therefore stimulate water efficiency.'
'The system of charging for water, based on rateable values from the 1970s, is increasingly indefensible ...this means that for most customers water bills bear no relation to water use'
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The statements above from ‘The Government’s water strategy for England’ conclude that where households pay for what they use, water efficiency is increased. The old Rateable Value fixed system does not encourage water efficiency as the bill has no relation to water use.

On this basis, the increase of the standing charge and decrease of the unit cost, means the amount of water used has less relation to the water bill (a move closer to the old rateable value system). A tariff where the amount of water used has less effect on the water bill, will not stimulate water efficiency. There is little purpose to a water meter if the fixed standing charge accounts for the greatest proportion of the bill.
For example a household that is forced to change to standard tariff and uses 35m3 per year will be paying more in fixed standing charges than for the amount of water used. This tariff withdrawal will also see customer bills increase by over 25% despite water use remaining the same.

‘Water and wastewater bills will be 5% lower on average in 2019-20 compared with 2014-15’
Setting price controls for 2015-20 Ofwat

It seems that Anglian Water changes and withdrawal of the Solow tariff are in conflict with ‘The Government’s water strategy for England’ by discouraging water efficiency and being a less fair way to pay for water.

• By making the standing charge the greatest proportion of the bill for water efficient households, you are reducing customer control over the bill and the financial incentive to save water.
• Ofwat have indicated that water bills will be lower in 2019 than 2014. Anglian Water Solow households will have significant increases in their bills.

Please could I have your response to the points I have raised?
In addition, I note your letter dated March 2015 states ‘Acting on the feedback we received from customers, we are making some changes to our tariff’. I would be very interested to review feedback where Solow households have indicated that discontinuing their tariff would be beneficial to them.

Cardew · 23 March 2015 at 12:07AM

The current method of water/sewerage charging across the UK is a nonsense. Nowhere more so than Anglian Water and its existing SoLow tariff.

The use of a 1970's Rateable Value(RV) which was based on the notional rent the property could command at the time of assessment, is absurd. However I fail to see the connection between houses charged on their RV and Anglian's SoLow tariff.

Impose a new system of charging for water by all means, but do so for every water company across the whole country.

The SoLow tariff was simply a method of cross-subsidy, with the subsidy being received - in the main - by properties with one or two occupants and that subsidy being paid for by other customers.

A large family could be far more frugal and use much less water per head than a couple on a SoLow tariff. However they not only pay for more water/sewerage but in addition higher standing charges; not to mention a effective levy to provide a subsidy for those on the SoLow tariff.

red_flump · 23 March 2015 at 10:43AM

I'm on this tariff, but my usage these days is about 180l/day 66m3 pa, I think the breakeven point was about 205l/day.

So I'm near the limit, my costs should still be around the £24/month mark
(no surface drainage charged)

It will be those on 120l/day or less this will make a difference.

red

MSE News: Anglian Water SoLow customer? It's axing the tariff meaning bill hikes

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