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Thames Water bill query/help please

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  • sillav nitram
    sillav nitram Posts: 10,164
    IdleHans said:
    I’ve just seen this thread and it’s interesting for me as I’ve been querying my Thames Water bill, last month £117.

    I do live in London, NW, so probably higher than outside but I live alone and feel my bill is pricey. Of course Thames Water don’t agree and feel as though I’ve hit a brick wall, in where to turn next?

    Maybe a water meter is the way forward but presumably I’d have to pay for this myself?
    Water meters should be fitted free. I'm getting one in my place next week. I'm hardly ever there so makes no sense to pay the assessed charge when my water use is virtually nothing. I take it you're getting the single person discount?

    Good question, I wonder if this is something they inform customers of or it’s only when you/others point it out that one becomes aware of it?
  • R0TW
    R0TW Posts: 1,676
    As per my earlier comments, out the blue, got one for over £1200.
    Meter (after being repaired) gave out a reading, and they based it on the meter reading zero when I moved in.
    You really have to battle with them.
  • IdleHans
    IdleHans Posts: 10,966
    My experience with the crooks at TW is similar. They've just over billed by almost £1500 on the basis of an 'actual' meter reading they never took. Like you, my meter was covered by soil - took me a while to locate it and I know where it is!
    I cancelled the DD before they ransacked the current account, and they can chase for a good long while before I give them any cash.
  • Covered End
    Covered End Posts: 52,004
    IdleHans said:
    I’ve just seen this thread and it’s interesting for me as I’ve been querying my Thames Water bill, last month £117.

    I do live in London, NW, so probably higher than outside but I live alone and feel my bill is pricey. Of course Thames Water don’t agree and feel as though I’ve hit a brick wall, in where to turn next?

    Maybe a water meter is the way forward but presumably I’d have to pay for this myself?
    Water meters should be fitted free. I'm getting one in my place next week. I'm hardly ever there so makes no sense to pay the assessed charge when my water use is virtually nothing. I take it you're getting the single person discount?

    Good question, I wonder if this is something they inform customers of or it’s only when you/others point it out that one becomes aware of it?
    I don't believe there is a single person discount.
    Although discounts are available if household income is low.
  • IdleHans
    IdleHans Posts: 10,966
    edited June 2024
    IdleHans said:
    I’ve just seen this thread and it’s interesting for me as I’ve been querying my Thames Water bill, last month £117.

    I do live in London, NW, so probably higher than outside but I live alone and feel my bill is pricey. Of course Thames Water don’t agree and feel as though I’ve hit a brick wall, in where to turn next?

    Maybe a water meter is the way forward but presumably I’d have to pay for this myself?
    Water meters should be fitted free. I'm getting one in my place next week. I'm hardly ever there so makes no sense to pay the assessed charge when my water use is virtually nothing. I take it you're getting the single person discount?

    Good question, I wonder if this is something they inform customers of or it’s only when you/others point it out that one becomes aware of it?
    I don't believe there is a single person discount.
    Although discounts are available if household income is low.
    My bill is reduced by 25% for single occupancy. However you only qualify for the single occupier charge if you've tried to have a meter fitted but can't.
  • Covered End
    Covered End Posts: 52,004
    edited June 2024
    IdleHans said:
    IdleHans said:
    I’ve just seen this thread and it’s interesting for me as I’ve been querying my Thames Water bill, last month £117.

    I do live in London, NW, so probably higher than outside but I live alone and feel my bill is pricey. Of course Thames Water don’t agree and feel as though I’ve hit a brick wall, in where to turn next?

    Maybe a water meter is the way forward but presumably I’d have to pay for this myself?
    Water meters should be fitted free. I'm getting one in my place next week. I'm hardly ever there so makes no sense to pay the assessed charge when my water use is virtually nothing. I take it you're getting the single person discount?

    Good question, I wonder if this is something they inform customers of or it’s only when you/others point it out that one becomes aware of it?
    I don't believe there is a single person discount.
    Although discounts are available if household income is low.
    My bill is reduced by 25% for single occupancy
    Fair enough. I couldn't see that as an option anywhere.
    For council tax yes, but not for water.
  • IdleHans
    IdleHans Posts: 10,966
    IdleHans said:
    IdleHans said:
    I’ve just seen this thread and it’s interesting for me as I’ve been querying my Thames Water bill, last month £117.

    I do live in London, NW, so probably higher than outside but I live alone and feel my bill is pricey. Of course Thames Water don’t agree and feel as though I’ve hit a brick wall, in where to turn next?

    Maybe a water meter is the way forward but presumably I’d have to pay for this myself?
    Water meters should be fitted free. I'm getting one in my place next week. I'm hardly ever there so makes no sense to pay the assessed charge when my water use is virtually nothing. I take it you're getting the single person discount?

    Good question, I wonder if this is something they inform customers of or it’s only when you/others point it out that one becomes aware of it?
    I don't believe there is a single person discount.
    Although discounts are available if household income is low.
    My bill is reduced by 25% for single occupancy
    Fair enough. I couldn't see that as an option anywhere.
    For council tax yes, but not for water.


  • Covered End
    Covered End Posts: 52,004
    I think this may just be your water company?
  • IdleHans
    IdleHans Posts: 10,966
    I think this may just be your water company?
    Entirely possible, but it's Thames and they don't give anything much away
  • Covered End
    Covered End Posts: 52,004
    IdleHans said:
    IdleHans said:
    I’ve just seen this thread and it’s interesting for me as I’ve been querying my Thames Water bill, last month £117.

    I do live in London, NW, so probably higher than outside but I live alone and feel my bill is pricey. Of course Thames Water don’t agree and feel as though I’ve hit a brick wall, in where to turn next?

    Maybe a water meter is the way forward but presumably I’d have to pay for this myself?
    Water meters should be fitted free. I'm getting one in my place next week. I'm hardly ever there so makes no sense to pay the assessed charge when my water use is virtually nothing. I take it you're getting the single person discount?

    Good question, I wonder if this is something they inform customers of or it’s only when you/others point it out that one becomes aware of it?
    I don't believe there is a single person discount.
    Although discounts are available if household income is low.
    My bill is reduced by 25% for single occupancy. However you only qualify for the single occupier charge if you've tried to have a meter fitted but can't.
    Sorry Idle, but you said you do have a meter?
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  • IdleHans
    IdleHans Posts: 10,966
    IdleHans said:
    IdleHans said:
    I’ve just seen this thread and it’s interesting for me as I’ve been querying my Thames Water bill, last month £117.

    I do live in London, NW, so probably higher than outside but I live alone and feel my bill is pricey. Of course Thames Water don’t agree and feel as though I’ve hit a brick wall, in where to turn next?

    Maybe a water meter is the way forward but presumably I’d have to pay for this myself?
    Water meters should be fitted free. I'm getting one in my place next week. I'm hardly ever there so makes no sense to pay the assessed charge when my water use is virtually nothing. I take it you're getting the single person discount?

    Good question, I wonder if this is something they inform customers of or it’s only when you/others point it out that one becomes aware of it?
    I don't believe there is a single person discount.
    Although discounts are available if household income is low.
    My bill is reduced by 25% for single occupancy. However you only qualify for the single occupier charge if you've tried to have a meter fitted but can't.
    Sorry Idle, but you said you do have a meter?
    No, getting one fitted this week.
    Couldn't have one previously as on an old shared supply with the pipe having had a kitchen built over the top of it. However, that 100 year old pipe was leaking badly upstream and my neighbours and me have had it replaced with new poly pipe routed differently so that meters can now be installed.
    But to get the lower tariff you do have to have requested a meter and for it not have been possible.
  • aliwibble
    aliwibble Posts: 26,290
    I'm on the same thing as when they converted our block into flats they did something weird with the pipe work, so when I requested a meter they couldn't work out which supply was the one coming to my flat.
  • meldrew66
    meldrew66 Posts: 2,561
    edited June 2024
    So...... More than a year after starting this thread about paying £79pm to Thames Water, I'm now up to £88pm for 2 adults living in a standard 3 bed semi. I've been trying to have a meter fitted for more than 2 years. They've visited the property 5 times telling me that they can, then can't, then can, then can't fit a meter outside and, last week, they said they can't fit one inside either. I've now got to the point where the engineer handed me a card stating that a meter cannot be fitted which is my gateway to moving from an incorrect commercial rate to an 'assessed' rate. I will be chasing them shortly to get confirmation of this change and the resultany reduced monthly charge. It's been way more painful a process to conclude than it should have been. 
  • Billy_Mix
    Billy_Mix Posts: 2,707
    meldrew66 said:
    So...... More than a year after starting this thread about paying £79pm to Thames Water, I'm now up to £88pm for 2 adults living in a standard 3 bed semi. I've been trying to have a meter fitted for more than 2 years. They've visited the property 5 times telling me that they can, then can't, then can, then can't fit a meter outside and, last week, they said they can't fit one inside either. I've now got to the point where the engineer handed me a card stating that a meter cannot be fitted which is my gateway to moving from an incorrect commercial rate to an 'assessed' rate. I will be chasing them shortly to get confirmation of this change and the resultany reduced monthly charge. It's been way more painful a process to conclude than it should have been. 
    Never forgetting that TW is a shameless racketeer - has anyone explained why a meter can't be installed?  They really ain't very big.

    That aside should your 'assessed' rate be backdated to when you requested a meter?  Assuming that assessment comes in under £88/mth

    Good luck I don't envy dealing with those thieving scum.
  • aliwibble
    aliwibble Posts: 26,290
    It generally tends to be an issue where properties have been converted I think, so the water supply going into the building is serving more than one flat, and the configuration of the internal pipe work is such that it's not possible to fit a meter at the source of supply for each individual flat.
  • IdleHans
    IdleHans Posts: 10,966
    My meter was put in this morning, took about 15 minutes, but then it's an easy one, external under the round plastic lid in the back garden
  • Dansk_Red
    Dansk_Red Posts: 5,727
    We had a meter fitted in November (TW) along with all the other properties in the road that had not had them fitted previously. We were given a leafet explaning they would give us comparision of the meter reading and exsiting monthly bill for six months. Last week after not receiving any comparisions they have written to us stating that they are unable to provide this due to technical issues with the meters..
  • clive
    clive Posts: 19,454

    Water bills in England and Wales are set to rise by an average £94 over the next five years, the water regulator Ofwat has said.

    The figure varies by region with Thames customers seeing an increase of £99 or 23%, Anglian £66 or 13% and Southern Water £183, an increase of 44%.

    The typical £19 a year increase is a third less than the increase requested by companies and is intended to fund investment for improvements such as replacing leaking pipes and reducing sewage discharges into rivers and seas.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cyx0jxrq7y4o

  • Off_it
    Off_it Posts: 28,846
    edited August 2024
    Thames Water handed a massive fine.

    That'll be bills going up again then. No chance of recouping some of the dividends the previous owners helped themselves to. Total scandal.

    Happy days.
  • clive
    clive Posts: 19,454

    Water bills to rise by £86 on average next year

    Over the next five years, the increases in water bills will average out to £31 per year, but Ofwat said firms are expected to hike tariffs by a higher amount in the first year.

    However, the bill hike averages have been calculated without inflation, meaning actual bills are likely to be higher.

    Bill hikes varies by region. Southern Water customers will be hit by the biggest increase, with bills going up 53% - to £642 on average - by 2030. Wessex and Northumbrian Water bills will rise by the smallest amount: 21%.
    Thames Water, which is struggling under a huge debt pile, will be able to charge customers 35% more, with annual bills going up to £588 in five years.
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgx3rv7p21o
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  • Rizzo
    Rizzo Posts: 6,435
    clive said:

    Thames Water, which is struggling under a huge debt pile, will be able to charge customers 35% more, with annual bills going up to £588 in five years.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgx3rv7p21o
    Seems very fair. They've got to maintain those dividend payments to shareholders somehow!
  • Dansk_Red
    Dansk_Red Posts: 5,727
    Thames Water fined £18m by offwat for breaking dividends rules, where does this money go?.   
  • Gisappointed
    Gisappointed Posts: 990
    edited December 2024
    IdleHans said:
    IdleHans said:
    I’ve just seen this thread and it’s interesting for me as I’ve been querying my Thames Water bill, last month £117.

    I do live in London, NW, so probably higher than outside but I live alone and feel my bill is pricey. Of course Thames Water don’t agree and feel as though I’ve hit a brick wall, in where to turn next?

    Maybe a water meter is the way forward but presumably I’d have to pay for this myself?
    Water meters should be fitted free. I'm getting one in my place next week. I'm hardly ever there so makes no sense to pay the assessed charge when my water use is virtually nothing. I take it you're getting the single person discount?

    Good question, I wonder if this is something they inform customers of or it’s only when you/others point it out that one becomes aware of it?
    I don't believe there is a single person discount.
    Although discounts are available if household income is low.
    My bill is reduced by 25% for single occupancy. However you only qualify for the single occupier charge if you've tried to have a meter fitted but can't.
    If you haven't got a meter, the charges are based on the rateable value of your property. So the 25% discount doesn't relate to your water bill per se, but to the reduction in council tax.

    There seems to be plenty of anecdotal evidence above of them ripping off multiple customers under their monopoly trading situation. HTF are they losing money, apart from unjustified executive salaries, bonuses and dividends? Additionally they have sold off hundreds of millions of of property assets.

    They are certainly not spending on infrastructure.  When your oligopoly is hemorrhaging money, increasing debt, failing to get investment, breaking environmental laws probably to the extent of criminality, how can the executive vote nearly a billion (inc pension and NIC) in bonuses? Reward for failure.
  • Off_it
    Off_it Posts: 28,846
    Off_it said:
    Thames Water handed a massive fine.

    That'll be bills going up again then. No chance of recouping some of the dividends the previous owners helped themselves to. Total scandal.

    Happy days.
    Prophetic!