Jump to content


Welsh Water refusing to accept offer of payment


style="text-align: center;">  

Thread Locked

because no one has posted on it for the last 4988 days.

If you need to add something to this thread then

 

Please click the "Report " link

 

at the bottom of one of the posts.

 

If you want to post a new story then

Please

Start your own new thread

That way you will attract more attention to your story and get more visitors and more help 

 

Thanks

Recommended Posts

My girlfriend and I are experiencing problems with arrears owed to Welsh Water. We have fallen behind with payments and currently the arrears stand at £199.77. Our monthly payments were originally around £38 per month.

 

Neither of us are working at present so we are unable to clear this amount on our low income. Yesterday we were in receipt of a final demand for arrears owed.

 

My partner spoke to somebody from Welsh water last night, and offered to pay them £5 per week to clear the arrears, which realistically is all we can afford at the moment. They accepted a £5 payment over the phone, and then said that amount would not be acceptable, and requested £54 per month (more than the original monthly payment). When my partner pointed out that this was more than the original payment, and that she had experienced problems paying that, they were unsympathetic, and said that was the lowest amount they could accept.

 

Obvioulsy they are just trying to bully us into making higher payments than we can afford, but having not dealt with a utility company like this before I am not sure as to how we should proceed. I assume that we should be making the offer in writing to them and sending it by recorded delivery?

 

Thanks

Rob

Link to post
Share on other sites

Sounds unfair, to except the payment and then add its not enough. You offered five pounds and they tookit. I have been in arrears for years with a water utility due to massive debt when left husband wouldyou believe it ten years ago. They allowed it to be carried on year after year whilst taking a token payment of a couple of pounds extra a week.

 

Even when ill and confused bills they rescheduled the ammounts and helped me even though I have realised if applied to trust fund they might have wiped it off anyhow. But in any case end of this water year I will have finally paid it off.

 

Point is you are being reasonable in my opinion they will at five pounds a week get it back in under a year and you have said low income. Another alternative is to apply to the trust fund relavant to your provider they mostly have one and ask they wipe it off, you will have to fill out finance situation form and details of incommings and outgoings etc and they can consider to from the charity side to wipe it off or at least someof it.

 

I feel for you as my ex hadnt paid the bill for years and I shouldnt have been chased as he was working, but in any case I can say it will be remedied this year finally. My company anglian water have been understanding, so cant understand why welsh water so unhelpful to you.

 

Ring them and ask if they have a trust fund that helps people, worth a try xx

Link to post
Share on other sites

If all you can afford is £5 a week then that is all you should pay, ignore their greed and ask them for their complaints procedure or look online for it;

Household Customers | Problems paying | Dwr Cymru Welsh Water

 

And also look at Ofwat::Ofwat home page and get their advice.

Who ever heard of someone getting a job at the Jobcentre? The unemployed are sent there as penance for their sins, not to help them find work!

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

If all you can afford is £5 a week then that is all you should pay, ignore their greed and ask them for their complaints procedure or look online for it;

Household Customers | Problems paying | Dwr Cymru Welsh Water

 

And also look at Ofwat::Ofwat home page and get their advice.

 

Yep, should make normal payment as well as the five pound you offered them and they cant refuse it:D But if things get any tougher and you need help, do look into the trust funds. They have limited help ammount a year of offer, but have helped a lot of people xx

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

They have written back and said the minimum they can accept is £12.88 per week, to cover the arrears and the current bill. This is realistically more than I can afford..

Link to post
Share on other sites

Then tell them the amount that you can 'realistically' and 'comfortably' afford, it is not for them to dictate to you how much is the minimum they will accept.

 

I absolutely guarantee you that if all you can manage is £5 a week, then they will look very very foolish if they tried to take you to court for more, they simply will not be able to force you to pay more than you have got.

 

Personally I would set up a Standing Order, NOT a direct debit and just pay them the amount you can afford each week, have you contacted ofwat?

Who ever heard of someone getting a job at the Jobcentre? The unemployed are sent there as penance for their sins, not to help them find work!

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Which water company is it?

 

Do they give a discount for direct debit payments? Either way at present it is probably not the best way for you to pay. They can suddenly take a very large amount if they have have a DD mandate so cancel the mandate with your bank and pay by standing order which you control.

 

You have offered £5 per week off the arrears and they accepted this. So hold them to it.

 

They require a further £7.88 per week to cover present consumption. That is £34 per month which is less than the amount you were paying by Direct Debit for your consumption.

 

I think they have gone as far as they are likely to go. Court action will likely do you a favour as then a judge will say what you will have to pay which will probably be less than they are asking. They know this so though they may threaten court they will be will not go down that route

 

You should look into possible trust funds.

 

Are you on a metered supply? If not look into the posibility of fitting a meter -

one advantage of a meter is that if you use less water you pay less so you can reduce bills by economising. Meters have to be fitted free of charge on request if it is possible

 

If you are being charged on a rateble value or an assessed charge you should look into this as these figures may both be too high for the property you live in.

 

Good job hunting - jobs for you both will cure this problem but get your water bills down now!

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
They have written back and said the minimum they can accept is £12.88 per week, to cover the arrears and the current bill. This is realistically more than I can afford..

 

I would say that this is totally reasonable for arrears and current usage.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I would say that this is totally reasonable for arrears and current usage.

 

 

well that is very helpful, thank you. Whilst it may seem totally reasonable to you, it is most certainly not reasonable to us in our current circumstances. Otherwise we would have paid it.

 

Everybodys financial sitution is different.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I said it was reasonable because you are paying the £5-00 that you originally offered because that is all you can afford to pay, plus a figure for your current usage. I take it that you can now either not pay the original offer to repay arrears, or you cant afford to pay for current usage.

 

Contact your local benefits office, as you are out of work, and ask about water direct. According to the welsh water website this will reduce your bill by a further 25 pounds.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Slightly late , but ask for direct payments. That comes out of your benefit and the DWP sort out how much you can afford and teh water company have to accept that.

I have seen it be as little as £3 per week to cover current bill but it does mean once you get a job you will have to pay more to cover this period.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 Caggers

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Have we helped you ...?


×
×
  • Create New...