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Help needed with Southern Water bill.









algie

The moaning of life
Jan 8, 2006
14,713
In rehab
Ages ago, Southern Water put meters in further down my road, stopping about 5 doors away, leaving the last 10(ish) houses. At the time I just assumed they'd be back soon enough, they never returned.

A fair few months later I noticed they had without warning cancelled my direct debt, I guess they thought the job was done too.

Anyhoo I did what I guess most of us would do, even though I knew I shouldn't and left it be, forgetting all about it.

Finally today THE letter has arrived:-

We are having problems in switching the meter on at your property (that's cos it's not there). We are working hard to resolve the problem.

Unfortunately at the time the meter was due to be switched on, we froze your account and you have not been charged for your water since April 2012.

blah blah, we now need to send you your bill from 01.04.12 to 31.03.13 and 01.04.13 to 31.03.14.

I'm sorry for the inconvenience this may cause, in recognition I have credited your account with £25, as a gesture of goodwill.


So basically 2 years water bill in one hit.

Now I'm no weasel, I know my responsibilities, I know I should have sorted all this out when I realised THEY had frozen my account and weren't going to put the meter in.

With all the facts at hand, my question is:-

How do I handle them when the very big bill arrives and they want all their money, asap?

As said I know I have to pay, but I don't see why I should make it easy for them.
I had a problem with my key meter when i first moved into my home. I informed Scottish Power that i think there's a problem with my tariff. £10 would last me a month :)

This went on for well over four years before i contacted SP again. They looked into it and since they had records of me reporting the issue they wiped out a debt of over £1500 as a good will gesture.
 


happypig

Staring at the rude boys
May 23, 2009
8,155
Eastbourne
Tell them you want the historic debt to be an agreed sum and then "ringfenced ". Then agree a reasonable monthly amount to pay off the ringfenced debt, wholly separate from your ongoing contract.
 


skipper734

Registered ruffian
Aug 9, 2008
9,189
Curdridge
Did they ever officially tell you they would be metering your property? Or did you assume it when you saw the men digging the trench?
They are trying to get you to pay for one year in arrears and one year in advance. If it had been metered this wouldn't have happened, so insist they put you a meter in and pay the year in arrears by installments or whatever, you will then only be liable for water as the estimates or readings become due for the current year. Or at least not until April 2014.
I don't know if they still are, but Southern Water used to be pretty lax in collecting their bills. Not from me I hasten to add.
Talk to your neighbours, those that have been metered and those that haven't.


You have not been charged for this information, some of which may not be correct, and some may not even be true.
 




pornomagboy

wake me up before you gogo who needs potter when
May 16, 2006
6,085
peacehaven
I had a big southern water bill, they told me how much to pay and they sent me a payment card and just pay it every month at pay point
 


algie

The moaning of life
Jan 8, 2006
14,713
In rehab
I had a big southern water bill, they told me how much to pay and they sent me a payment card and just pay it every month at pay point
I do that with both waters and tv licence.
 






pornomagboy

wake me up before you gogo who needs potter when
May 16, 2006
6,085
peacehaven
I have a dept on payment card and paying my current water rates by dd
 


cloud

Well-known member
Jun 12, 2011
3,036
Here, there and everywhere


Soulman

New member
Oct 22, 2012
10,966
Sompting
How do they know what your bill should be for each of the two years, when by their own admission they haven't installed a meter and therefore don't know what your consumption would have been? Does the amount they are asking for look realistic?

This may be useful
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/consumer_w/consumer_energy_and_water_supply_e/consumer_water_supply_e/consumer_problems_with_paying_your_water_bill_e/backdated_water_bills.htm

Yep, good post.
Now if you had of been on a meter, like the others in your street, like you "would" have preferred, (tongue in cheek) then your bills "would" have been much lower.
So ask them to put a meter in, then gauge your usage over say....2 months, then calculate the last two years on that consumption.
Meantime in that two months, shower once a week, ALL of the family together, with all the weeks washing up in the shower with you......and have a dump and a wee down the outside drains..............Sorted.
 




Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
How do they know what your bill should be for each of the two years, when by their own admission they haven't installed a meter and therefore don't know what your consumption would have been? Does the amount they are asking for look realistic?

This may be useful
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/consumer_w/consumer_energy_and_water_supply_e/consumer_water_supply_e/consumer_problems_with_paying_your_water_bill_e/backdated_water_bills.htm
I'm yet to get the bill, they obviously rattled out a quick preemptive letter when they unearthed the mistake, while they are sorting the rest out.

As said I've no intention to weasel out of it, after all I did let it slide when I realised they had made a mistake x amount of months later.

I just want to make sure I have the knowledge of NSC so I can legally pay off their mistake on my terms, not theirs.
 


Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
Yep, good post.
Now if you had of been on a meter, like the others in your street, like you "would" have preferred, (tongue in cheek) then your bills "would" have been much lower.
So ask them to put a meter in, then gauge your usage over say....2 months, then calculate the last two years on that consumption.
Meantime in that two months, shower once a week, ALL of the family together, with all the weeks washing up in the shower with you......and have a dump and a wee down the outside drains..............Sorted.

You mean 'Black Sunday' as it's become know.

A while ago we were out walking the dogs in filthy weather on filthy ground, we got filthy.
1 bath = 1 x child, twice, me, 1 x Labrador, then 1 x Golden Retriever.

It was pointless putting the last dog in, I think he came out dirtier.
 


portslade seagull

Well-known member
Jul 19, 2003
17,934
portslade
Tell em you haven't washed for 2-years and have only been drinking rain water captured from your downpipe and also using the local wood when caught short
 




Billy the Fish

Technocrat
Oct 18, 2005
17,594
Haywards Heath
Ages ago, Southern Water put meters in further down my road, stopping about 5 doors away, leaving the last 10(ish) houses. At the time I just assumed they'd be back soon enough, they never returned.

A fair few months later I noticed they had without warning cancelled my direct debt, I guess they thought the job was done too.

Anyhoo I did what I guess most of us would do, even though I knew I shouldn't and left it be, forgetting all about it.

Finally today THE letter has arrived:-

We are having problems in switching the meter on at your property (that's cos it's not there). We are working hard to resolve the problem.

Unfortunately at the time the meter was due to be switched on, we froze your account and you have not been charged for your water since April 2012.

blah blah, we now need to send you your bill from 01.04.12 to 31.03.13 and 01.04.13 to 31.03.14.

I'm sorry for the inconvenience this may cause, in recognition I have credited your account with £25, as a gesture of goodwill.


So basically 2 years water bill in one hit.

Now I'm no weasel, I know my responsibilities, I know I should have sorted all this out when I realised THEY had frozen my account and weren't going to put the meter in.

With all the facts at hand, my question is:-

How do I handle them when the very big bill arrives and they want all their money, asap?

As said I know I have to pay, but I don't see why I should make it easy for them.

Don't listen to all the tossers who will tell you to just pay it. Make a fuss and you might be able to wangle a bigger discount. You obviously should be on a meter so they must've cocked up somehow and the £25 is an admission of that, you just need to talk to the right person who has power to help you.

When I lived in a rental house share a few years ago the electricity company didn't bill us for two years because they cocked up on setting the account up. We just ignored it and then got a bill two years later for a couple of grand. With a little bit of pressure from me (but not that much really) they cut it by 50%.

You might not get anywhere, but it could be worth your while to try.
 


skipper734

Registered ruffian
Aug 9, 2008
9,189
Curdridge
It's not the new water that all the bill is for. You pay more on your bill to get rid of it. Plus you pay about £18 per annum to put the rain that falls on your roof down the drain and you pay more money for the rain that falls on the road outside your house and unless the councils drain blocks, comes nowhere near you.
At the end of the day a portion of the money you pay Southern Water to distribute something that falls out of the sky, ends up where a lot more of your money ends up, namely......... China.
 


seagullsovergrimsby

#cpfctinpotclub
Aug 21, 2005
43,930
Crap Town
Anglia Water cocked up my direct debit because my youngest son moved to CLEETHORPES and his letting agent sent a letter saying he had moved into rented property as was the bill payer but failed to mention his first name and only gave his first initial which is the same as mine. Anglia Water re-instated the direct debit and waived the monthly payment that hadn't been collected as a goodwill gesture.
 


Soulman

New member
Oct 22, 2012
10,966
Sompting
It's not the new water that all the bill is for. You pay more on your bill to get rid of it. Plus you pay about £18 per annum to put the rain that falls on your roof down the drain and you pay more money for the rain that falls on the road outside your house and unless the councils drain blocks, comes nowhere near you.
At the end of the day a portion of the money you pay Southern Water to distribute something that falls out of the sky, ends up where a lot more of your money ends up, namely......... China.

The French own Southern Water......but i get the gist.
 




Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
That's a relief they only want:-

£815.68 payment immediately by return!! :ohmy:


Of that the important bit is £368 outstanding debt from '12-'13.

Which is the bit I want the best deal for me on.
Assuming I can just reinstate the DD they cancelled for '13-'14.
 


seagullsovergrimsby

#cpfctinpotclub
Aug 21, 2005
43,930
Crap Town
That's a relief they only want:-

£815.68 payment immediately by return!! :ohmy:


Of that the important bit is £368 outstanding debt from '12-'13.

Which is the bit I want the best deal for me on.
Assuming I can just reinstate the DD they cancelled for '13-'14.

How can they work out what water you have used if there is no meter reading or are they estimating usage for 2012-2013 ? It is their cock up , the £25 credit is a joke.
 


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