Unjust water Charges and very unfair! .......

[Mikefromlondon]

I installed my own water meter just to see really what my consumption was, two people in my household, wife and me, and 10 cats! I have used 200 cu meters so far since 5th April 2012! ( just a few days over 10 months) or roughly 230 cu meters for I year!

I am not sure what is the metered charge but they also add fixed charges on top of that. This may well work cheaper than paying close to 600 quid a year ( actual 580.00 per year)

I found out the reason, my house was once converted into two separate flats, each with a chargeable value of 210 quid, so the total chargeable value is the total of both flats now that it has been converted back to a 3 bedroom house!

May be I might ring them and say I have now converted my house into two separate flats with me occupying the downstairs! and i only use the downstairs flat so I should pay only on 210 pound rateable value! and tell them that the upstairs is unoccupied! see what they have to say to that.

 

[chapeau]

If they are charging you for surface water drainage but you don't use their pipes then you can get money off. However they will come round and check first.

 

[jeds]

Just get a water meter. If you don't like the metered charge you are entitled to change back within one year. When you sell your house the new owners are required to go on to a meter whether they like it or not - although it is true that not all water companies enforce this all the time.

 

[Nige F]

If they are charging you for surface water drainage but you don't use their pipes then you can get money off. However they will come round and check first.

Yeah £18 a year - BUT it`s forever - First thing I did @ this house - I intend to get at least 20x£18 off the b`stards

 

[Mikefromlondon]

If a 3 bedroom 2 storey house is converted into 2 separate flats, one being on GF and one on FF.

Previous to that the Council Tax for the 3 bed house was say 1,200.00, then after conversion the Council tax for each flat then becomes 950.00!
that is 1900.00! quid for two smaller families as oppose to one large family in a 3 bed house.

Now do you not think it should be about half for each flat? or may be just a little more than half to say around 750.00 for each, but this is not the case.

same way, if these two flats were then reverted back to 3 bed house as the case with mine, the Council tax resumes the original value of 1200.00

But sadly this is not the case with Thames Water, because they must have got a loose screw and do they care about millions of litres or gallons of water leaks! No because they are not paying for the lost water!

which does not cost them a penny as you and i pay for that leak through our water charges!

About time Thames water grew up wise, and behave properly as aoppsed to ripping people off. Thieving our money!

Hey, I wonder why the Govt did not fix energy prices so that all households could pay a fixed amount of electricity and gas charges irrespective of how many units you used like it is for water, so why is water utility different from Electricity and Gas.

 

[chapeau]

Two smaller families use more council resources and more water so should pay more than one larger family. I also bet the price of the flats combined is also worth more than the price of the single house (otherwise wouldn't be worth converting of course).

 

[JBR]

Just get a water meter. If you don't like the metered charge you are entitled to change back within one year. When you sell your house the new owners are required to go on to a meter whether they like it or not - although it is true that not all water companies enforce this all the time.

We'd thought about doing that, but not for the reasons we are talking about. We have no external stopcock (only the internal one under the kitchen sink), and I have always been a bit worried that if a leak developed before the stopcock there'd be nothing we could do.

If we had a water meter installed - and I assume they do this externally to the property so that it can be read at any time - hopefully they might also include an external stopcock. I'm not sure what the law says about these things.

 

[Mikefromlondon]

Two smaller families use more council resources and more water so should pay more than one larger family. I also bet the price of the flats combined is also worth more than the price of the single house (otherwise wouldn't be worth converting of course).

Ok I agree, but then when the 2 flats are converted back to a 3bed house then the water charges should also follow the same rule, unfortunately greedy buggers running these utilities are ignoring this rule and just revaluing by adding the chargeable value of each flat.

$$$$£££££pounds!!dollas!

Unfair Rules are REVOLTING! and UDEMOCRATIC! and whaqt happened to the COMMON SENSE?...actually nothing hppened to the common sense, they never seemd to have any in the first place!

 

[chapeau]

If they just put their fingers in their ears and go 'la la la la' you need to involve the regulator.

 

[jeds]

Just get a water meter. If you don't like the metered charge you are entitled to change back within one year. When you sell your house the new owners are required to go on to a meter whether they like it or not - although it is true that not all water companies enforce this all the time.

If we had a water meter installed - and I assume they do this externally (yes they do!) to the property so that it can be read at any time - hopefully they might also include an external stopcock. (yes it will!) I'm not sure what the law says about these things.

 

[JBR]

Just get a water meter. If you don't like the metered charge you are entitled to change back within one year. When you sell your house the new owners are required to go on to a meter whether they like it or not - although it is true that not all water companies enforce this all the time.

If we had a water meter installed - and I assume they do this externally (yes they do!) to the property so that it can be read at any time - hopefully they might also include an external stopcock. (yes it will!) I'm not sure what the law says about these things.

Cheers. That's good news. Now for the next question.

When we decide we don't want it any more (before the year is up), will they remove it AND the stopcock?!

 

[big-all]

no they just stop reading the meter and go back to "rateable value"
the meter stays for the next occupant
would also check the time span i think it may be 6 months here but not sure

 

[JBR]

Thanks Big-all. This all sounds good. I just have to persuade my 'boss' now.

 

[big-all]

assuming your dee valley water you have about a year to make your mind up
http://www.deevalleywater.co.uk/article_files/159/english/Free_Meter_Option_Information.pdf

 

[JBR]

assuming your dee valley water you have about a year to make your mind up
http://www.deevalleywater.co.uk/article_files/159/english/Free_Meter_Option_Information.pdf[/QUOTE]

No. United Utilities. I've had a look at their web site and water meters are fitted free and you can revert to rateable-value charging within the following year. Unfortunately, they say that they now fit meters internally wherever possible (and can read them remotely) which defeats the object. I might still ask them if I can have one externally - with an external stop cock, of course!