Severn Trent Water wrongly installed a water meter, please help

[relisys]

Hi all, first time on this site and quite desperate to get any advice

In 2000 I requested a water meter in my ground floor apartment, I have one neighbour above. it was fitted and i assumed all would be ok not being a meter nor plumber expert. The first error by Severn Trent as it was on a joint feed.

This summer, 2007, I noticed that the meter was clocking up usage but there was no water running, I reported it faulty, Severn Trent sent an engineer who confimed it was not working and that it was on a joint feed.

I had been paying by direct debit to Severn Trent since it was installed, I now no why my billing was so erratic.

Severn Trent agreed to refund me with all that i had paid in, then calculated how much i would have paid had i been on an assessed charge, and then refunded the difference plus £50 goodwill. I have letters to back all this and a letter stating that from now on my billing should be correct.

They have since made another error by refunding me too much as they did not included the used water and drainage element and are now requesting that I pay them £360.22,another error made by them which started from an error by them in the first place.

As this is on a joint feed, in essence shared by my neighbour, I must empasise that i was not aware of this, not only have I been paying for his usage but he has also paid Severn Trent the rateable charge. Severn Trent have said that all monies have been refunded so my nieghbour would not be entitled to a refund, Severn Trent have been paid twice!

[ozzywizard]

Welcome to the forum, sorry I can not help much with this as I am not wellup on water. Be patient and I am sure somone will be along to help soon. Have you tried raising this with the regulaters which I think is ofwat for the water companies. It is clear you have never refused to pay for your water and all this is due to their mistakes and you have proof of this si I am sure somthing can be sorted. Keep checking back and maybe have a read around the forum.

[relisys]

Ozzy wizard, thanks for your support, I shall keep an eye out for advice, i have a meeting tommorrow with the consumer council for water, i shall update this thread on their findings.

[Carriep]

Hi,

I work for a BBC1 consumer affairs programme called "Don't Get Done, Get Dom", in which presenter Dominic Littlewood attempts to resolve issues that have arisen between consumers and companies.

Having read your story, we would be extremely keen to hear from you to see if there is anything we might be able to do to help.

If you would like to talk to us, please get in touch at:

dom@flametv.co.uk
02072785052

Thanks very much,

Robert Gershinson
Don’t Get Done, Get Dom (BBC1)

[fiyah]

off topic a bit but i remember my dad having trouble with severn trent, he is a farmer and was disputing a bill for 1 trough in his field which according to severn trent was on its own water meter. The field where the trough was was just used for crop growing so no cattle in the field to drink water from the trough so apart from evaporation no water was used....my dad kicked off about some big bill he had received for this trough after receiving no bill ion the past for the said trough only to find out they had been sending letters to the trough, not my dad but the trough, was addressed something like trough, top field wolvey, leicestershire........wou ld have liked to see them take the trough to court
but anyways just one example of severn trents incompetence