Water bill shocker!

A question about : Water bill shocker!

Came home to letter to say in arrears yet I pay every month on line. Rang company and got usual run down of what they have to say I then said I'm puzzled as to arrears and what was it how much and how did it occur. Ј1400!! Apparently my booklet payments have never covered invoice amount since 2006. I argued that they should have put in red that I was in debit and each year they should tell me I don't pay enough. Their answer was it was up to me. I am on benefits (unfortunately) and they knew my situation. I am worse off now after child benefit and tax credits stopped, I must admit I forgot to tell them that my income was less! Can they do this? Please help.

Best answers:

• Hello MUMMAM,
  Firstly, I suggest that you do not despair. Your water authority has a responsibility to keep you informed of the degree of your debt to them and on this they would apear to have clearly failed. I think that I would advise them that you are going to approach the Consumer Council for Water for further advice on your situation. I can supply contact details - otherwise "Google" for the information. As long as you are paying something to them you are not in a default situation, so don't be intimidated - you are a customer in a difficult financial situation, not a criminal. If they then do not adopt a more agreeable tone, I suggest that you do approach the Consumer Council for Water to see if they can assist. Your level of debt should never have been allowed to escalate to this kind of level and it is plainly negligent of your water authority to have let it be so.
  Chin up! Kind regards - rollon65.
• What a lovely reply you have given rollon65. I have seen so many negative replies in the past to people in a similar position it has been so disheartening. Give yourself a pat on the back.
  Mumman, do take rollon65's advice and let us know how you get on. I know how stressful something like this can be.
• Hello again MUMMAM,
  You need to look here: https://www.ccwater.org.uk/
  I also have been in an accumulated debt situation with my own water authority (see "Shock Letter from Water Authority" posting here), albeit in different circumstances to yours and have learned quite a lot in the process.
  Take a look at my penultimate (I think) posting and do the same, I suggest.
  Don't let it get you down - you appear to have a very good case for some redress.
  Capyboppy: Thank you for your kind words. In the main, folks posting here are short on help and certainly don't need to be kicked whilst they are down, do they?
  Kind regards - rollon65.
• Here's my drift MUMMAM:
  For anyone who follows in my footsteps; it has been invaluable to have kept copious notes of names, dates and times of telephone conversations, letters received, records of water authority activity in the near vacinity and to be "on the ball" in respect of any mistakes (however insignificant) made by your authority as I sincerely believe that it is necessary both to make your case confidently and in sound possession of the facts. If you falter they are likely to grab the advantage.
• Hi rollon65
  I took your advice got in touch with ccwater, Anglian replied, still not happy, got back to ccwater then Anglian replied with a much more favourable reply. Best part of bill written off, they had to agree bill should not have been allowed to accumulate and will inform yearly now of how I stand, experian will be told I am repaying at an agreed rate, now on meter and monthly payment down by Ј10 per month. Have thanked ccwater but HUGE thanks to you rollon65 I would never have known about ccwater without your advice.
  Was feeling quite ill over this, but a lot happier now. Thank you thank you thank you.
• This case illustrates how many of the Utility Companies(including gas/electricity) have a total reliance on 'The computer' to run accounts.
  I suspect over the 8 years the OP was running up a debit balance, the account was never seen by a 'human' at the water company.
  I also suspect that the increasing debit balance would have been noticed by 'The Computer' had the OP been paying by Direct Debit, but its program doesn't cater for booklet payments.
• Hello MUMMAM,
  I am so pleased that I have been able to use my own recent experience as the basis of some help for your own situation.
  I do recognise the procedure where water companies often seem to take a heavy handed approach to consumers in any kind of difficulty as a first posture, only to become more accommodating when you display a bit of knowledge about the organisations that are out there who can offer you some credible assistance.
  Do check with Experian (not Anglian Water) that your credit rating has not taken a battering with reference to this issue as it will be considerably more difficult to do so later on, if that should get overlooked now.
  Can't fault Cardew's view that all errors get blamed on “the computer”, however that does not relieve any water authority's (human) staff of their responsibilities, as much as they might like to think so.
  I wish you good fortune with your continuing dealings with your water provider, and remember – there are lots of willing folk, ordinary consumers just like yourself, who are prepared to devote their time and energy to trying to ensure that the “bully boys” don't get the upper hand if they can help.
  Kind regards – rollon65.
• What a great outcome. No insulting replies, no trolls. Just like the old days of MSE
• Hello again Capyboppy,
  I'll second that! If you don't intend to try and be helpful and welcoming, then don't post here - try the battlefield that is Facebook instead.
  I have been posting here for five years or so and have only once encountered outright rudeness, but when you are short on assistance and you are responded to in that fashion it can make you think twice about returning, can't it?
  Kind regards - rollon65.
• I recently posted asking for help/advice concerning a large water bill caused through a neighbour watering the garden for us when we were away, he inadvertantly the tap on!! Obviously he didn't intend to. I was very very worried as to how I was going to pay this off Ј270odd ..........anyway, the response from most peope that replied on the forum was anything but helpful, in fact it upset me, as I have been a member of MSE from day one, and remember how kind and sympathetic most people were.
  I so agree with rollon and capyboppy............ nice helpful replies!
  In the end I wrote a LETTER, (one of those things in an envelope!!) to
  the Director of Customer Services. I reeived a phone call 3 days later to say they had waived the sewerage charges Ј158!!!!! which left just the water charge to pay.......phew, what a relief.
  I didn't bother letting people know on my original post, as they would probably be annoyed I had managed to sort things out on my own!
  So pleased OP you also managed to sort things out
• It certainly is very upsetting gatita when it happens; especially when we are expecting support and sensible advice. I have just remembered that with my experience (my money off vouchers were refused in Aldi), I ended up asking the MSE mods to delete the whole thread as it was that upsetting. Something I never would have dreamed I would have to do. Maybe we and rollon should start our own forum . Pleased that you got the bill waived to some degree after your own efforts.
• YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSss I would be the first to join! go for it
• I really would love to set something alternative up. However at the moment I couldn't be 'sole admin' as not only have I just set my first FB group up, but I am a 'very mature' OU student coming to the end of 5 years study with 1 more to go. Add to that mix some health issues it is too much to take on at the moment :-(. However, if rollon or yourself would like to instigate something I would gladly come on board and do what I can, when I can.
• Hello both,
  Fine and very worthy sentiments, however the constitution and upkeep of such an undertaking would be vastly more than any of us could manage, believe me.
  It is all too easy to overlook the enormous contribution that the moneysavingexpert team makes. The platform of these forums is provided by them and we the contributors just add our two penn'orth.
  Before we get a lecture about being too thin skinned for the bashing that a perfectly innocent request for assistance here can sometimes attract “out of the blue”, I suggest a previously prepared rebuke that can be copied and pasted into your posting can at least attempt to publicly shame those for whom rudeness is a way of life.
  If other users see that you are having a rough ride, it will often encourage some more friendly contributions from the very many reasonable folk who use these forums and would not think of sinking to such a low level.
  Hang on in there – kind regards, rollon65.
• Wise words rollon indeed :-)
• find the email address of the CEO of the company and outline your case clearly. This quite often has dramatic results as they can make decisions that company staff can not. Be polite though.
• Yes Rosalyn, I did exactly that and I have to say I was delighted with the result. I would certainly urge anyone else with a genuine complaint/query to do this and as you say, keep it to the point and always polite.
• Hello rosalyn100 and gatita,
  Whilst I am in accord with what you suggest, getting an e-mail address for the top man in the organisation is usually quite difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.
  The top men tend to be ring-fenced and all their mail goes to sub-ordinates to deal with.
  In my own case, communications sent to such a person in my own water authority never reached him and despite my protestations, I was told ". . . this is the way the organisation works".
  Nothing ventured - nothing gained though!
  Kind regards - rollon65.