Debt with Water Company

[smudge12]

I pay all my utility bills by standing order weekly, except the water bill, as I have had an ongoing dispute with them, I got fed up paying out the same amount of money as my neighbours, might sound churlish but I live on my own, don't water the garden as I only have grass, and take my car to the car wash, My neighbours have 4 cars which they wash at home plus them bring their family and friends around to do the same, sometimes it is like a car wash company, there are 4 adults in the house next door,8 children and two adults couple of door down and I could go on, I am the one house where there is only one, with a shower no bath in the house and I work so am out of the house all day. anyway back to the question, after hours of trying to talk to the Company, a man came around and I told him my story, he went away saying he will get it sorted out all I wanted was for the to install a water metre, I felt a bit of relief getting somewhere, not so months later I get a letter from the court saying they are going for a CCJ so I put my defence in, at the begining of April,2017
12th April I got a letter from their solicitors demanding I paid the debt within the next 7 days or all sorts of unpleasant things will happen. I contacted the court as I have never had a CCJ nor a threat of one in my life. they said water board cant do that as defence is pending, 20th April got a bill from said water board for £1561.50 saying the bill had to be paid by 4th May 2017, as I was confused I rang them after waiting 22 minutes to be answered a very pleasant lady spoke to me a further 40 minutes holding on she went from one department to another with no joy, I told her I had got a letter from court dated 22 April saying it was going to small claims both parties agreed, and a letter from water company stating the solicitors were not dealing with the case anymore but one of their staff, then I got a letter from the mediation office asking if I would consider that I agreed so did the water company, but on their reply of dates unavailable the person dealing with it could not attend most of May their expert could not attend most of June and other essential witnesses could not attend three dates in July. it is a water bill why are there any need for expert witnesses and other essential witnesses don't understand, all sent off to mediation, then a date for mediation came through for middle of June, on the same day I got another letter from water company saying that the had changed their mind a the matter will now proceed to the small claims court where a district judge will rule on the matter and if the water board is successful I will have to pay further litigation costs hearing fees and attendance costs. I phone mediation they said the date for that stands there is no court hearing listed. I phoned the water company and again after holding on for ages I was told it was with the litigation dept, who said it was elsewhere, in the end I was told it was with a company called UK Search. now I am really confused I asked is this another bill on top of the on with the court, they said no, same one. which they were saying had to be paid by 4th May could someone please help me out I am so confused, I am a pensioner with only my pension I pay all my debts this was a dispute I have never said I was not going to pay just wanted a meter so what I paid for was fair, now on the 16th May 2017 they tell me I have a water metre and it is down the bottom of the road somewhere, they are not sure where please help.

Smudge12

[mc2fool]

In regards to getting a water meter:

"Your water company should install the meter within three months of your request.

If it does not do this, the company should offer to adjust your bill to reflect the charges you would have paid if you had been on a meter." http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/households/your ... /metering/

So, it would be helpful if you have the date when you requested the meter documented, and get the date when it was installed from the water company.

It might also be helpful in mediation if you go to your water company's website and find out what their "assessed household" charges are for your situation. This is what they'd charge you if you asked for a water meter and, for any reason, they couldn't/wouldn't install one. That, of course, isn't your case, but you might try offering that as a fair and reasonable amount to settle on. (No idea if it'll work but it's got to be worth a shot, esp. as in your situation it's likely to be significantly less than the unmetered charges.)

If you haven't already you might also call and have a chat with the Consumer Council for Water, which is the statutory consumer body for the water sector in England and Wales. https://ccwater.custhelp.com/app/utils/ ... direct/ask

[melonfool]

Well, if you are on rates then you just do pay the same as anyone else in a house of the same rateable value no matter how many people live in each or how many cars they wash.

The past bill you need to pay I'm afraid.

As for the meter, they should give you one and no, the one 'down the road' cannot be yours - if they say it is, ask them for the readings for the last 5 years and ask why your bills have not been based on that.

I'd go to the mediation, or ask CAB for advice. The water companies are actually usually fairly kind and helpful, the most benign of the utilities, so you will hopefully find a way forward.

Mel