Are Severn Trent Water overcharging us?

[bigphil61]

Hi All,

 

I have an issue with STW that I would like help with if possible.

 

After recieving a rebate of £200.00 in Oct 2009, STW changed my water meter in Nov 2009 stating that it was faulty.

 

As I was paying by DD I never really took any notice of the charges being made until I was forced into changing the way payments were being taken due to being unemployed in 2010.

 

On informing STW that I could no longer make monthly DD they sent my a bill for over £500.

 

After much arguments backwards and forwards STW agreed to change the meter in March 2012,

I had stopped making payments to them in June 2011 due to this dispute.

 

I had in the meanwhile asked The Consumer Council For Water to look into the dispute for me.

 

Unfortunately their response was to agree with STW that if the meter states that I used x amount of water then that was the amount used.

 

Once the new meter had been fitted in March 2012

I started taking readings and managed to work out that our daily consumption is 0.34 units.

 

I was therefore more than a little suprised by the letters I recieved from STW last week.

 

One letter stated that the meter was faulty but had been undercharging and the second letter was a bill asking for payment from June 2011 until May 2012 an amount due of over £1200.00.

 

After being woken up by my partner with smelling salts I started to work out what I had paid over the years to STW.

 

I then calculated what I should have paid based on the 0.34 units used daily.

 

I get a figure of over £1700 overcharged from 2001 to 2011.

 

My question to my fellow Caggers is this:

 

Would it be fair of me to ask for this money to be refunded and to add a 8% simple interest to the final figure?

 

Also to ask STW to stop using figures based on a faulty meter to advise me of my current years bill?

 

Thanks in advance

 

BP

[citizenB]

I dont know the answer to your question, I am sure someone will look in on you over the weekend

 

I wonder though if it might be worth getting back the Council for water. They initially agreed with the Water Company but now they have confirmed that there IS a faulty meter, then they should really look into the matter again for you.

[rebel11]

Hi bigphil

 

I would send STW a SAR request, they will send you all the data they have on your account, hopefully details of when the meter has been inspected.

 

They have 40 days to send that info, it does cost £10. Don't tell them why you want the info.

 

 

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[citizenB]

It has been suggested you might like to contact the following:

 

 

Or OFWAT. http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/

[MARTIN3030]

The water council are toothless,and can not force any actions.

I agree that a full Dsar should be sought and make sure its comprehensive.

[bigphil61]

Thank you all for your responses! I will SAR them and whilst waiting for that to arrive ask the Consumer Council for Water to look into my complaint!

[NathanT93]

As you are based on consumption with your water meter, i would say what severn trent are telling you is correct.

 

if you feel that the charges are extortionate and do not match recent bills then you should what we call a flow test.

 

read your meter, then turn your stop tap off, leave it overnight (or for a period where absolutely no water will be used), then take a reading roughly 7/8 hours laters, if the water meter has increased then you have a leak at your property. leaks arent always visible to spot, sometimes you never know you have one, but without following it up you will be liable for charges.

[MARTIN3030]

3 posts in 24 hours all in support of Severn Trent Water.

This is a consumer site in case you have not noticed,and as already advised,if you are looking to be responding to posts in a fashion that suggests you are working for them,then you should seek the permission for it.

[bigphil61]

Hi All,To clarify, my issue has nothing to do with how to do flow tests, I've done 7 of them in the last 12 months and now consider myself to be an expert flow tester, my issue is not with leaks as I had that checked by a qualified (none STW) plumber and in his opinion if I was using the water showing on the meter, I would need diving gear to get around the house.My issue is with STW for consistantly stating that the meter was not faulty and then after all of the denials, once the new meter had been fitted, admitting that it was faulty but has been undercharging! I'm awating a response from the Consumer Council for Water and will update this post once they have responded.Thanks to Martin3030 for pointing out a few facts for NathanT93!BP

[TheAllSeeingEye]

3 posts in 24 hours all in support of Severn Trent Water.

This is a consumer site in case you have not noticed,and as already advised,if you are looking to be responding to posts in a fashion that suggests you are working for them,then you should seek the permission for it.

 

I'm new to this site, and I am also looking at legal advice - being in a similar situation to others; just to clarifty that I do NOT work for STW, never have, never will, and that I am NOT taking any side here.

 

Martin, your post makes little sense. I have scoured the site, and have found no evidence of anyone suggesting that they are working for STW. They are merely giving advice. Yes, people are well aware that this is a cosumer site, because it is strangely called 'consumeractiongroup'. I would suggest a little more education before your thoughts are keyed and the send button depressed.

[bigphil61]

Hi All,

 

STW are admitting the second meter was not accurate and have made an adjustment to my account back to the date when the first meter was changed to the second meter in November 2009. What I don't understand is why they do not make the adjustment back to the beginning of my account in 2001 as the first meter was also faulty! My reasoning being that if they felt the need to exchange the meter in 2009 because it was faulty then none of the readings taken prior to that could have been accurate either! I will have a chat with the Consumer Council for Water later on today and update accordingly!

 

BP