United Utilities claimform - 2017-18 water bill.

[gigglebuns]

Hello, I hope I have posted this in the right place!

I am utterly upset and shocked by this letter.

 

Today I have received a letter from Northampton County Court advising that I owe £534.24 plus costs to UU.

 

Now I do not dispute this bill at all as it is my annual 2017 - 2018 bill

 

 

however my issues are as follows;

 

- I had a zero balance with UU up until the most recent bill was issued on 1st April

 

- The bill itself stated that I needed to pay £267.12 on 1st April and £267.12 on 1st October

 

- I knew I wasn't able to afford the April payment

so called them to arrange a plan to pay this off at £66.78 per month starting from the end of May running until September as my payday is 28th of each month.

 

- As far as I was aware this was agreed

however I didn't get anything in writing and more fool me,

I didn't think this would be an issue.

 

- I have not had any reminder from UU

 

- I have now been told I have to pay the £534.24 plus £130 court costs which is for my bill up until 31.03.2018!

 

-Can they give me a CCJ for a service I haven't had yet?

 

- I dont have any proof of this payment plan as it was all done on the phone

(i feel foolish now but they tell you to call them if you cant pay so I did)

 

- How do I reply to this court letter?

 

- Do I make the £66.78 payment at the end of the month?

 

I do not dispute the bill of course

but I cannot believe they have done this to me and I dont know what to do.

 

Please can you help. Thank you

[dx100uk]

its not a letter its a county court claimform:

 

 

can you complete this please

so we have all the correct info to advise properly.

 

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?419198-You-have-received-a-Claim-What-you-need-to-do.-**UPDATED-2016**(1-Viewing)-nbsp

[AndyOrch]

So basically its your latest bill which they wanted in 2 payments.........how have you paid the previous years ?

 

Do you not use Direct Debit ?

 

Did you not ask to pay it over 12 payments ?

 

Do you not use on line facility to control your account ?

 

https://www.unitedutilities.com/faq/bills-payments/i-want-to-pay-my-bill-how-can-i-do-this/

 

 

Andy

[unclebulgaria67]

Seems very over the top action.

 

If you have an unmetered service contract, in theory yes they can issue a court claim for the full year, if you don't enter into a payment arrangement.

 

But if you were going to start paying by instalments from the end of May then it seems the court claim was issued in error.

 

You need to contact their team that deals with payments and i am sure they can resolve this quickly with the court claim withdrawn.

[unclebulgaria67]

Depending on the amount of water usage, you might be better off asking for a meter to be installed. Then you pay for what you use and don't have the possibility of a court claim for a long period of unmeteted supply,

[gigglebuns]

its not a letter its a county court claimform:

 

 

can you complete this please

so we have all the correct info to advise properly.

 

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?419198-You-have-received-a-Claim-What-you-need-to-do.-**UPDATED-2016**(1-Viewing)-nbsp

 

i am fully aware it is a claim form hence why the title of the post was a claim form. Apologies if my terminology is incorrect!

 

as the first reply to my post has pointed out my error, i will seek advice elsewhere.

 

thank you for replying

[unclebulgaria67]

i am fully aware it is a claim form hence why the title of the post was a claim form. Apologies if my terminology is incorrect!

 

as the first reply to my post has pointed out my error, i will seek advice elsewhere.

 

thank you for replying

 

I an sure UU can resolve this quickly, if you had already made contact with them to set up a payment plan.

 

Water companies on a unmetered supply won't allow no payment arrangement to be in place and will issue a court claim, but they usually warn about this first. I think they have made a mistake in issuing the claim, if you have already arranged repayment by instalments.

 

If UU are not helpful, just acknowledge the court claim and defend in full. The defence is that you have already agreed payment by instalments before they issued their claim.