Hi all (sorry, this is long) I am seeking advice on whether to pursue a PI claim against Tesco. I haven't had anything like this happen before and I can't seem to get my head together. There is so much background and I am in pain and very anxious, so I think I need an outside perspective? I slipped on some water in the drinks aisle at Tesco yesterday. I didn't fall all the way down (tried to stay upright due to the embarrassment of being in public!) but another customer saw it and came over to see if I was ok (it was a real "banana peel" moment, with my right leg going up in the air). I was more embarrassed than anything so I kinda just brushed her off, saying I was fine. I went over to the tills, reported the spillage to the supervisor and she apologised and asked if I was ok. I said yes, and went off to get my shopping (this happened within seconds of entering the store) - I was only picking up a couple of bits, so was in there less than 5 minutes, I guess? By the time I got back to the till, my lower back, right leg and lower right side of my stomach had started hurting and I think shock kicked in? I got all shaky and hot and started sweating profusely. I bumped into the same customer again, she asked if I was ok (I probably looked rough!) and I said no, I was feeling a bit rough now. She gave me her name/number (she kept saying to me I would be in more pain tomorrow and I should make a claim) and said I should sit down. Luckily I was at the self-service tills, next to customer service, so I went over. They got me a seat, some water and a fan and phoned their "injury helpline" to report it. They offered me ibuprofen but I didn't want to chance it (see below) so I gave them my details and, once I felt well enough, I left to pick my daughter up. Background medical: I am 9 weeks pregnant and on blood thinning meds to prevent miscarriage (I have a diagnosis and a previous successful pregnancy whilst on these meds). I also had a slipped disc in 2006, treated by GP & NHS physio at the time, with the occasional recurrences treated by a private osteopath. I saw my GP last night (I was picking up my repeat prescription anyway so made an emergency apt as I was in pain). He examined me, said it was probably a pulled muscle in my abdomen and that I shouldn't take ibuprofen, just paracetamol because of my other meds. He was concerned about the risk of internal bleeding due to my meds and said that if I bruise or start to bleed, I need to attend A&E immediately. Apparently because of the blood thinners there is a risk of internal haemorrhage. He ordered 2 days' bed rest and paracetamol, and to phone him if it got any worse - he offered to prescribe codeine but I don't want to risk it. Today, I have sciatic pain radiating down both legs (my slipped disc previously affected my left leg only) and am unable to stand, sit or walk comfortably. Also the pulled muscle in my stomach is killing me whenever I sneeze or stand up too quickly. My parents have had to come over and help out with my daughter most of the day, so I could stay in bed. My dad and husband are both telling me I should claim against Tesco - I don't understand why? What could I claim for - I didn't break anything or even hit the floor, I just have sciatic pain which could be attributed to my prior disc problems? I do have some slight bruising along my lower spine - I am waiting for my husband to get home from work to decide whether to go to A&E. If anything does happen, won't Tesco just claim that it is due to my history of miscarriage? I am just worried that they will demand to see my medical records and just say I had a prior back problem, which is exacerbated by pregnancy. I am sorry for the flood of info - I am hoping that there is a "legal" someone out there who can pick out all the relevant info. My mind is spinning and I am struggling to look after my 4-year old, as I don't want to take any more meds. I also run our business from home and can't focus today, as I am just worried about this little person inside me! If anyone has any advice, it would be gratefully received. I think I am mostly glad to get all this off my chest - it was a bit traumatic and I haven't had anyone to talk to about it today. Thanks for reading, if you got through all that!

Good Afternoon, I have received a County Court Summons from United Utilities Water for claim for unpaid bills for water used etc. I live in a rented apartment and water is supplied through a meter. I first became concerned in 2012 when I received a bill for water use that seemed particularly high (for one person living alone). After some investigation and telephone call with United Utilities, I discovered that the water meters at this building are connected incorrectly and the meter registered to my apartment is NOT connected to my apartment. I have established this by turning the mains water tap off (that is connected to this meter) and the water maintains full pressure in my apartment. Furthermore, I have taken a reading of the numbers (showing water consumption) on the meter registered to my apartment and then released a considerable amount of water from the taps in my apartment. I then re-checked the numbers showing consumption on the meter and they had not changed. From this, I concluded that the meter that is registered to my apartment is not the actual one connected it. I first became aware of this problem and reported it to United Utilities on 1st November 2012 where I was informed that someone would come and visit my apartment and look at the problem. I have since made several telephone calls (for which I have contemporaneous notes and a record of the date and time the calls were made) to report this and continue to make United Utilities aware of the problem. In addition, I have sent letters and have recorded delivery receipts. I have not received any response to my letters and during some of the telephone conversations I have been asked to prove (in writing) that the meter is incorrectly connected. It is impossible for me to prove in a letter how a plumbing system is connected and it would be necessary for a plumber to visit my apartment to establish this. When I mentioned this during a telephone conversation, I was threatened with a visit from a debt collector and was assured that they would not be interested in looking at the water connection but would be guaranteed to leave with payment of the money United Utilities allege that I owe. It is my intention to defend their entire claim but I wish to make a counterclaim. I suffer from depression and have (in 2013) attempted suicide due to the pressure from various debt collectors and United Utilities unwillingness to address the problem. Since this problem was first brought to the attention of United Utilities in November 2012, I have been in a position where I felt unable to use water in my apartment due to the knowledge that my water system was connected to another meter and someone else would be getting charged for my water consumption. I subsequently suffered increasingly poor standards of hygiene, have been unable to wash or flush the toilet correctly and in extremis have boiled rain water in order to make a cup of tea. I have had to make regular visits to my mother’s home in order to properly use the toilet and take showers etc which has involved considerable travelling expenses. My general health has suffered considerably and my mental health deteriorated significantly due to the threats issued by United Utilities and debt collectors pursuing me for alleged debt despite being informed of the problem. What would be the accepted or usual amount of compensation for my distress etc that I should enter in my counterclaim. The other main difficulty I have is that the court charge a fee for a counterclaim. My career sadly ended due to ill health and I do not have the funds to pay the court fees. It would distress me greatly to think that United Utilities were able to get away without even an apology for what they have done to me. In relation to this, the wider issue remains that United Utilities have continued to receive payments fraudulently from at least one other tenant in this building who is actually connected to the meter that is wrongly registered to apartment 5. I do not know and have no way of knowing who this person is or which apartment is actually connected to this meter. I do know that there have been a number of changes in tenants in several apartments and this issue could potentially affect a large number of people going back to the time when the water meters were first installed. It is my concern that due to the seriousness of this matter, United Utilities will try to rectify the problem in order to avoid admitting liability. Any general advice or comments would be greatly appreciated. Many Thanks.

Hi all Was just after some advice about a situation I have found myself in with my new flat. Around a week before I was due to move in I was informed that for the first week of the tenancy there would be no water supply due to a mix up with dates between the council and the water company as to when the pavement / road could be dug up to allow connection. I was due to move in to the flat on the 28th June, and the water was to be connected on 6th July. I was offered and accepted a fixed sum in compensation which covered that weeks rent and a little extra, this is to be in the form of a rent reduction for month two. I arranged to stay at a hotel for a few nights and spent a couple of nights with friends. There are also two other flats in the same development in the same position. Now the 6th has been and gone and I still have no water supply. I have been in daily contact with the managing agents who are firmly pinning blame on the water company (Affinity Water) who apparently are having trouble locating where to connect the flats to the water main! They are now saying they need to make a bigger excavation and to do so they need permission from some authority or other. To me this sounds like it could take a while, and in the meantime I'm having to use toilet facilities in a local shopping centre and take showers at work. Plus, of course, I can't prepare any food at home so I'm having to eat out. If this drags on I will have to arrange to stay with friends again. The managing agent is full of apologies but doesn't seem forthcoming with any further compensation and when I mention it just says she'll contact the landlord and get back to me. My question is... am I entitled to further compensation as the no water situation has extended beyond the initial agreed period? If so, what level of compensation should I be seeking? Just a rebate on the rent, or perhaps a little more for inconvenience? Surely I shouldn't have to be paying rent on a flat that is essentially not habitable? Any input would be gratefully received. Ben

Hi, I've been issued with a valid s21, the letting agent has now sent a follow up letter which states that any deposit will not be returned until I have proof I have paid the water bill up to date. Obviously I will inform water company of reading on checkout day, (and of course pay when a bill is calculated) but I feel it is wrong for letting agent to withhold deposit until I provide proof bill is paid. This could take many weeks! Is this standard? It doesn't specify this in my tenancy, this is the first I've heard of it. Of course I'll pay outstanding utilities, but I'm sure the water company won't send somebody to read my meter when I request, nor will they produce a bill immediately. Any ideas? Thanks Me_too

I received a letter from Anglian water threatening recovery action as I 'haven't paid my bill' even though I requested a payment card so I can pay what I can afford and am currently making payments to them. I sent a email of complaint to them (their offices are closed and I'm currently working shifts during their opening hours which is convenient) along with a copy of a letter from my gp stating that I suffer with anxiety and depression. Any extra help/advice would be good as this is causing me a lot of stress which is a shame as I was starting to get back on my feet and start getting more work.

Hello and good morning, gather around and hear my tale of woe. Perhaps you may be able to provide me with some information which may make things a tad easier for me! Background: I moved into a house in May 2012 in Yorkshire. I was renting from Reeds Rain. Everything was absolutely splendid. Paid all my bills on time and was never an issue to anybody. When I left the property in 2013 (May), I advised Reeds Rain and ran through their check-list for leaving. (Ended up getting £500 from Spark Energy due to having been over-billed for the ENTIRE YEAR!). I was lead to believe that simply cancelling my direct debits would be fine, since Reeds would take over the account ownerships again as they'd be the home-owners until a new tenant moved in. On the same day I moved out of the property, I moved abroad until March 2014. While jobseeking, a company who did a check on me advised me that I had a default on my credit rating, and they wanted to know why. "What? I have NO Idea what that is." Was my genuine reply. But you, the reader can probably tell where this is going due to the title... I call Yorkshire Water and ask them about it. They tell me that since I never told them that I had left the property and simply cancelled the direct debit, I owed them money. We confirmed the date I left and they updated their systems and it was then a case that they owed ME money. (A token amount of about £7). I asked at this point if they'd remove the default, and they confused me and confirmed it'll be okay, they'd mark it as satisfactory. After having spoken to Credit Expert, I realise this is completely different to actually removing the default. This is when I kicked off! (Politely of course!) For the sake of simplicity, I will add in my letter to them, and their response. Good evening, My name is ... and I used to reside at ... in York. I rented the property for the period of one year from May '12 to May '13. When I entered the property, my details were provided to Yorkshire Water by my estate agent, Reeds Rain. I paid my bills every month by Direct Debit and never once had a late payment, or missed payment. Upon leaving the property, I was told that Reeds Rain would be contacting Yorkshire Water to take over the account again since it would be in their ownership. On the SAME day I left the property, I left the country and went to ... for ten months. Until March 2014 when I returned to the UK. While applying for work, I was informed that a credit-check on me had brought up a default against my name and if I could explain it. I was BAFFLED. Nobody had tried to call me or write to me at my new address. Nor was I emailed or had ANY SINGLE TYPE of correspondence made at all. I contacted Yorkshire Water and it was discussed as to when I left the property and it was discovered that in fact, they owed me money which they would arrange to pay back to me ASAP. Even with this though, they insist on only marking the default as settled instead of removing it, because it was accurate at the time of being put in place. My argument is this: It was not valid at the time it was put in place, as no attempt to discuss with me was made. They had multiple avenues to explore to contact me. (Reeds Rain being a primary contact point for information perhaps? Or to call my number or email me with the information provided by Reeds Rain. Or contacting me while I was at the property to confirm they had updated information on me) Second, the fact that with updated information, I have *NEVER* owed them money, therefore I have never defaulted on a missed payment. This means that the default, although they may have believed it to be correct at the time, is COMPLETELY wrong. It should be removed as it was added in error. The example I gave is thus: A man is arrested for murder and put behind bars for a year. It's then discovered he's completely innocent. The police do NOT keep a record on this person saying he's a murderer! This is a stain on my financial record that I've worked really hard to keep in good standing, and although it's being marked as "settled", it's still implying that at one point, I was in the wrong. Please help me as soon as you can, as this may affect my current job. Kind regards and thank you for your time, Their reply: Thank you for your emails received on 28 & 29 May 2014. I’m sorry you’ve had to go to the trouble of contacting us about the Default on your credit file and that you’re unhappy with the way your account has been handled. Whilst I fully appreciate that you left the country on 9 May 2013, we weren’t made aware of this until you called us on 27 May 2014. I understand that you had a private agreement with Reed Rains for them to close your account; unfortunately they didn’t let us know that you’d moved home. Due to the volume of customers we have, it’s not possible for us to contact them all by telephone and we didn’t hold your email address until your recent call. The onus is on the customer to make sure that they let us know of a change of address. Just to let you know your account was initially closed in August 2013 when mail was returned undelivered. We then passed your account to a debt collection agency so that they could trace you. As we were not made aware of the date that you left the property and as payments were not received, the Notice of Intention to file a Default was sent to the last known address that we had on record. Experian rules state that if a customer hasn’t made us aware of their new address, the letter can only be sent to the last known address. Although your account has now been amended and a refund given, I’m unable to remove the Default from your credit file as it was correctly registered at the time, based on the information that was provided to us. It’s important the information we share is accurate. Please be assured it’s not our intention to put a stain upon your character and I hope it doesn’t affect your future employment opportunities. As my colleague advised you in our previous email, your credit file will be updated within 28 days to show that the Default has been satisfied. I’m pleased to let you know I’ve also sent you hard copies of both emails to the address that you provided. I realise that this is not the response you were hoping and I’m sorry if my reply has disappointed you. Please be assured that your correspondence has been through our complaints process and has been fully reviewed. This means that if you contact us again about this the outcome will be the same. I've forwarded this onto the ICO since I do not feel that Yorkshire Water are keeping to the Data Protection Act 1998 (Part 4 - Accurate and Up-to-Date) Would anybody be able to confirm if I'm doing the right/wrong thing? Or if there's anything I can/should do differently? Thank you for your time reading this, I know it's a biggy. Kind regards.

On Friday I received a threatening letter from Advantis regarding an unpaid water bill. 1. The bill was for the flat I left over 18 months ago. 2. The flat has been empty since then. 3. I was up to date when I moved (was moved, sheltered housing) and Thames water were informed. 4. My current water charges are paid for in the rent and so I don't have an account with Thames or any other company. I contacted Thames water and explained this and told them I had no intention of paying this and why. They told me to get the housing association to contact them with details of the payments. This I have done. I thought I would have a bit of fun with Advantis so I called them on a number they dont want you to know and flatly refused to answer their damn fool security questions. This got them going and when I told them I was not going to pay them and would see them in court they really lost the plot. The language was about right for a navvy. You can guess what it was like when I told them to prove that I owed them anything. (rubs hands and gives an evil chuckle) Great just what I wanted so I called them back and started their complaints procedure. I also filed complaints with the FSA, Trading standards and the financial ombudsman. I will let you know what happens if anyone is interested.

This is really annoying. In my shared house, my flatmate who was managing the water bill was paying methodically every month, but it seems that one month he did not see the letter and didn't pay one bill, (79 pounds). Well, yesterday, he opened one letter from Yorkshire Water saying that they would take us to court unless we paid £733 plus the bill not paid. He really messed it up, and it's going to be a huge problem for us. I'm spanish, so I'm not really aware of procedures here in England. What can we do now? Is there an option to not to pay that exaggerated penalty? Thanks...

Advice please needed. I have an ongoing problem with Anglian i haven't paid a bill in 6 years, i moved to a new build, sent in appropriate details of change of address and heard nothing. A few years later on i received a bill address to Highfield rd, i'm Highfield place, passed letter on to correct addresse and found out that they'd been putting my bills in the bin( didn't know my address existed). I contacted Anglian by phone and email explaining this and was told someone would call me back, they never did. Bills stopped then suddenly started getting bills for Highfield rd again. Got fed up by this point, so when they finally sorted it out i have now a bill of £2008.64. Which i cannot afford to pay. I will be calling them again but wanted to see where i stand with this, could i get it reduced for their inability to get my address correct, offer a small amount to pay on the arrears as will have to start paying for normal usage. Any advice appreciated

Desperate for advice This is somewhat complex but THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR READING. Please advise as this making me so unwell. I rent a flat which is owned privately, it is managed on behalf of the owner by an agent. The flat is 2 bed and is in a multi complex unit managed by a temporary debt recovery firm. My tenancy commenced 2009. I was advised and have proof that I was going to be linked by the agent, to all utility companies. This was successful with Gas and Electricity but I soon learned that water was indeed privatised and known as resale. I did not agree to this and my concern was supported when bills were finally issued. I took dispute with the billing procedure as it had no consistency – often 8-10 months between invoices and they were not itemised in terms of meter readings or unit costs or how the breakdown in costs were achieved. I have a water metre which is located outside of the flat, the key to which I was told only last year is my front door key. I contacted the previous management of the complex and there began my ongoing dispute. I will make clear that until 2012 I paid all bills for which I have receipts. In June 2012 the new management company took over due to the bankruptcy of the previous owner and through my diligence in pursuing lawful billing, I became aware that the previous company left owing SW water £10,000.00 in debt. I later learnt that the bank to which I paid my bills was the private account of the then owner. I accept that this does not affect me in that the debt was written off by SW Water but I stated in an email to the new company that I wanted, as I had been mid dispute, to have all future bills detail when readings were taken, how the charges are met, unit costs/any administration costs etc. I have emails evidencing all the above. On January 25th 2013 an invoice was finally sent to the owner of the property, this was sent then to the letting agent who finally forwarded it to me in March. I must make clear at this point that bill is in the name of the flat’s owner but of course under tenancy agreement I am responsible. The invoice was dated for the period of 19/06/2012 – 28/12/2012. The balance due as stated on the invoice was for £346.88p. No meter readings as requested, no breakdown in costs, nothing but a sum total. I paid the management company of the complex as the bill was issued by them and it was them with whom I had raised my concerns, as providers. I set up an arrangement to pay instalments of £65 per month as of April and paid x 3 instalments plus 1 ad hoc payment of £35.96p in total £577.84p. Meanwhile I pursued with my request – itemised bills. The management company of the complex clearly became frustrated with this as they contacted me end of July 2013 to say that they were returning the full payment and that they would not correspond with me further as I am not the owner of the property. They emailed this with written confirmation that until this date my bill was £577.84 they refunded the amount in full. I contacted the letting agent who until that time remained uninterested and obstructive – ‘You’re the tenant just pay’. I advised them that I could not make payment to the complex and that I would pay the letting agent which was agreed but I maintained that I wanted lawful billing asking – would you pay any sum placed before you not knowing how that sum was achieved? Many emails exchanged which have been incredibly stressful, I am currently on S/L due to depression and it has taken me a week or more to face this next stage. I’m exhausted. The letting agency were finally in receipt of breakdown in costs, in January 2014 I receive my first itemised bill £1449.49 the breakdown in costs runs into difficulty when the reading for the period of 19/06/2012 – 18/12/2012 (some 10 days difference to original) £97.28p more? Interesting though to note that they go on to state in emails between the letting agent and the management of the complex (email I believe linked to me in error) that my overall bill for Water and Sewerage would have been £2,403.87 since 2009 how do they reach this figure without record of accounts (which they say in email they do not hold) and if it is for the period of the commencement of tenancy, that would mean an average yearly bill of £480.6p which falls in line with the average yearly bill for South West Water and Sewerage usage based on a household that is metered as quoted by OFWAT and the water consumer counsel. I would accept this. So how do they suggest that since June 2012 - June 2013 I owe £1074.61 twice above the average yearly use? I believe my bills to be excessive – they average £95 per month? I ask this but the representative at the letting agency sits in as judge and jury and vets my concerns asking ‘more proof more evidence’ He bullies and belittles me, he sends emails that frustrate me as I am unable to communicate with any other person – It appears he has made this personal now asking that I pay £140 to credit check my daughter who has been living at the property since the start of tenancy – they knew this. I have 14 days to comply. The current situation is I am stating to my letting agent that as I have evidence that until July 2013 my bill was paid in total, I will await an invoice from that period to present day. ‘NO’. I stated that I had met my contractual obligation and cannot be responsible for the management complex now saying that they made a ‘clerical error’ and that I am to pay the sum in total with immediate effect. I have paid the £577.68 and am currently told by the letting agency agent that he will not forward my concerns. The letting agent states that I do not have a case, he is the manager of finance and in my opinion not in a position to judge what is communicated or not to the providers. I understand this is a bit complex and I have tried my best to explain it but as I said I am currently unwell and this only serves to cause me great distress – I have a folder of emails proving the inconsistency of figures. Finally, I have been to CAB they advise civil case, I had an appointment with a solicitor who advised that it may not be cost effective to have legal advice due to costs. I am a single parent, working but lone responsibility for all outgoings. Many thanks for your time if you have read this, feels somewhat reassuring as I already feel less alone.

Silly question really. But has anyone ever received their water/sewerage bill which has shown a reduction on the previous year ? Why do these water companies believe they can increase the bill above the rate of inflation, when I expect that their costs of operation have not increased. It is not as if, they will be giving their staff a decent pay rise. In most areas of the country you are stuck with one company. You cannot shop around. The government should be looking into the water industry and doing what they can to ensure that no excess profits are being made. It was silly to privatise the water industry in the first place, as most are now foreign owned.

Hi there. Writing this on behalf of a friend who is experiencing problems with her letting agents (who operate on behalf of private landlord). Basically has not had hot water for 3 months since she reported it in November 2013. She does however get hot water from the shower. She was finally able to get hot water today but because the water tank is so small she had to heat it twice as she wanted to run a bath. (not enough hot water for the bath) She asked her letting agents if she was due any compensation for being without hot water for such a long time despite her phoning them about it multiple times. She was told that she had hot water via the shower so no compensation is due. Is this true? (Shes based in Scotland if this makes any difference) Another thing the letting agents do is let workmen etc into my friend's flat without letting her know....i thought that they had to give notice of this? thanks for any help

Hi chaps, need a little assistance for a mate. I know there is a code of practice for gas and electric companies as regards accurate billing and back billing, but is there a similar thing for water rates? And, if so, can anyone post me a link please? If not, then I'll be back with yet another tale of woe! Thanks in advance.

Hi Im not sure if this is the correct place for this but couldn't find anywhere else to put it. We are currently £240 in arrears with Anglian Water, however i got my new bill and on this is states that i have until the 2 April to pay £336 which will be the arrears plus the first half of the years payment. I have set up a DD for this and i thought all was fine. I came home from work yesterday to a postcard that had been left in my letterbox, stating that someone called Denholm had come regarding Anglian Water account and that i was to phone a mobile number to sort payment out. What i am really angry about is the fact that this person has also handwritten my account number on the card and the amount i am in arrears and the amount of my full years bill, there was no need for him to write any of this on the card and indeed there was only spaces available for him to put his name and number. He did NOT put this in a sealed envelope addressed to the occupier, but left it half in and half out of the postbox, i have written a complaint to Anglian water. My question is "is this allowed"? Is this breaching the Data Protection Act, do i have a leg to stand on if i make a formal complaint? As i say it was purely a calling card and i don't believe he should have handwritten my details all over the card, but i would like to know if i am correct in this before i go any further with it. Many thanks for any help you can give.

My 20 year old daughters car overheated today (Peugeot 106 . 1998 ). She stopped the car, and rang me (2 very good moves). I told her to let the car cool down, and to top up the water in the radiator expansion tank. I explained where this was , and she said " Yes I can see it". She has filled (roughly 50ml ) steering fluid reservior with water Can anyone please explain to me how to get it out.? F16

I see the usual begging letters have gone out from Lowells AS you've not got CTAX or Water Rates for 2months.. pay us that debt we claim your owe us!! now I know my neighbours got debt but 15 of them on debts dating back to 1982!! Lowells must be short of money with all these Court Cases they are losing thanks to Andyorch & CAG:lol:

I'm a builder and do a fair bit of plumbing. The below "tip" will not work if you have a combi boiler, only if you have a normal or pressurised cylinder. If you normaly turn on your hot tap and wait ages for HOT water, try this because it works. Turn the hot tap on full blast, then shut it off... wait 10/20 seconds and turn on again... Hot water. This saves water and gas / electric because the small amount of cold water in the pipe has been hydraulically shunted back to the cylinder and replaced by hot. Where as you would be running the hot tap waiting forever and introducing gallons of cold water into the cylinder costing money to reheat. Try it.

Hi all. I got into financial difficulties over a year ago. I'm on JSA and have no other income like pension etc. I got behind with my water payments and the debt currently stands at around £1000 - my local water company is one of the most expensive in the country I believe. I went to CAB a few months ago and filled out the relevant paperwork and showed proof of incoming money etc. I was then told the water company would send me payment slips to pay £13 a month for a few months then it would be under review. However, just before christmas the water co sent my some payment slips of £260 each, payable each month for the next 4 months. I contacted the guy at cab about this and he said he wasn't aware of any of that and maybe the water co are still processing my 'claim' under this 'water care' scheme that have for people on a low income. I left it until I then received the same sort of thing again from the water company, 4 payment slips for this £260 a month for 4 months. I waited until now thinking they were sorting out this other scheme of £13 a month but they've now written to me saying it will go to court. I will contact them tomorrow anyway, but I just wondered is there any way I can make a realistic 'offer' of some amount to avoid court? A bit like a token payment to a credit card company? In all honesty, I'm financially stretched as it is so it would be a tenner at the most and that would be a struggle to be honest. I'd appreciate any advice here before I contact them if possible as I don't want to feel they have me over a barrel so to speak and I have to abide by their terms or it's court. I want to pay, but I also want to be realistic in what I can afford at the moment. Thanks for any advice, appreciated as always.

in 2002 we moved into a converted flat (3 flats in a house) on the top floor. we stayed there until 2012 then we moved to a 3 bedroom house. to our shock we got a water bill yesterday for 400 quid sent to our new house,for our old flat. now we have never paid water in the old flat and never were told to pay water by anyone. neither the landlord or the water company. we were under the impression it was included in the rent as no one asked us to pay it. i rang the water company and they said that the landlord never told the water company the flat existed until 2008. then when we left in 2012 they told them who used to occupy it. now surely something funny going on here? i wasnt asked to pay water bills in 10 years and all of a sudden when i leave im told to pay 400 quid a year later? i need to know my rights here please because something isn't right. if i was asked to pay the water bill from 2002 till 2012 then i would have done. but no one ever did. im totally confused here as it seems something dodgy is going on. any help appreciated please.

I am one of 4 adults living in a house provided by Birmingham City Council. I hope you can help Almost 3 weeks ago our combi-boiler broke leaving us without central heating or hot water. The council attended promptly after reporting it (but beyond their 24 hour promised call out) and said that a total replacement would be advised. The boiler has been fixed on average 3 times a year ever since it was fitted and is in a terrible state. After many phone calls, failed promised visits, we are still without heating. They claimed they have to fit scaffolding before a replacement could be executed, but they have not turned up on the two promised days to fit it. As far as we know, no scaffolding means no boiler. The council have said that the job will be done by 3rd Feb which means we will be over a month without heating and hot water. They gave us two tiny fan heaters to heat a 3 bedroom home. Our house is on a meter and one room consumed £7 of electric in a 14 hour period. Heating water via kettles and pans to wash in a bowl with a jug is costing us dearly and my mother is becoming ill and depressed thanks to arguing with the council in a bid for cooperation. We are becoming quite desperate. We are a working household and the council promise to call before turning up without notice, they fail to call leaving us to come home to 'We missed you notes'. They threaten to charge a £40 call out fee should we not be there when they visit without notice. If we take days off work, they don't turn up. They have ZERO comprehension of how much this is costing us. We have no date for repair and are becoming quite distressed. One occupant in the house has a heart complaint, the other diabetes. We have contacted the higher management of Morrissons (the company who do the councils boiler repairs), the council, and our local MP, we are getting nowhere. How do we sort this. Can we be compensated for the electricity? Should we have to pay full rent for no hot water or heating for a month? Thankyou NB: The council told us that a partial repair had been noted at our home on the boiler. This is lie. When confronted the council worker said that he actually didn't do a partial but posted a 'Missed' note through our door - he did not. We feel our home is being used to process claims for repairs that are not happening. Another visit at 9.30 in the morning was logged as an 'out of hours visit' according to the council. We are not receiving the service that they think we are.

Today we received a letter from Moorcroft stating that they are collecting a debt for Anglian Water. The bill itself actually stretches back over the past 5yrs, the majority of which I have been unemployed and £11 per fortnight was being taken from JSA to pay towards the debt. We have been in our current property for 3yrs, at the end of 2012/beginning of 2013, while having some remedial work carried out, it came to light that there is an issue with our water meter, being that it seems that our supply is connected to next doors meter, and vice versa, and owing to a dispute between the local council (its a council house) and AW over who initiates the process for solving the problem, the meters are still mis-connected, and ever since we have been on estimated bills. Now, considering that for the best part of 2 years, for all we know, we were being charged for next doors water usage, would we have grounds to dispute the amount they are claiming we owe? And if so, what is the best way to go about it?

Dear all, wondering if anyone can offer some advice? My partner received out of the blue today, a letter from SRJ Debt recoveries titled in red REFERRAL FOR LITIGATION. It says that they are acting on behalf of their client Anglian Water. All the letter has on it is a old address of ours which we lived at over 6 years ago. We did have a dispute with Anglian water at the time as the property we rented had a septic tank. We only lived there for a short time as the landlord lived next door and made our life hell. Anyway we never heard from anglian water again and the letter from SRJ has no dates the water bill was for. After we moved out the landlord rented to polish tennants, they left without paying bills and we were chased for a gas bill that was theirs. We later found out that the landlord gave our new address to British gas and it took me a year to prove this bill did not belong to us. Do utility bills become statue barred after 6 years. There is no default for it on my partners credit record. Are we best to ignore it as dont really want to communicate with SRJ, as from experience with the gas bill our life was made a living hell. The landlord has since passed away . Many thanks for your help in advance

Have sorted out my water account, or so I thought but something else came up whilst doing it. I have a water meter with one company, but have found out that waste water is with another and the point is though have never had a bill from them Advice please, do I sit on my hands or what ?

Ofwat, the water regulator, has confirmed that it has turned down Thames Water's request to increase customer bills by up to 8% next year. Thames had asked to add an extra £29, or 8%, to the annual average household bill for 2014-15. But the regulator has ruled that it must stick to a 1.4%-above-inflation maximum rise, set in the latest price review. The company said it was reviewing the decision carefully. It has the option to appeal against the decision to the Competition Commission. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24864714

Pls i'm in need of urgent help with a bryan carter litigations proceeding on behalf of thames water( £853.). Received a claim form from Northampton(CCBC) dated 16/10/2013 but received 21/10/2013. I am a novice at this sort of things. I initially called BC to try and arrange a kind of repayment plan but they are bullying me into making a monthly payment plan I can not afford. don't know if that was a good idea. Now stumbled on this forum . The particulars of claim says " Pursuant to section 142 and 143 of the water industry act 1991 The claimant claims 853. being part of a debt due for water service charges under acc no ..... .for the period 01/09/2011 to 01/04/2012 . Pls what can I do as i do not want a CCJ and don't like the idea of going to court and also I am really running out of time .