Help with ongoing Welsh Water Problem

[Ben021]

Hello.

 

Hoping someone could help me with this as I am not sure how best to proceed.

 

Got into a bit of a mess with Welsh Water some years ago (starting around 2012).  I'd not long moved into a new flat and fell ill, lost my job and hadn't paid them for around a year after - My fault, but other bills took priority at the time.

 

When I got back on my feet I decided to tackle the bill.  Called them and they were asking for about £1200 (for me on my own in a small flat).  Naturally I felt it very high but they told me that is what the tariff rate was and I wanted to bring the thing to a close so I set up a payment arrangement over 12 months, £100 a month to pay it off.

 

Coming up to the end of the payment agreement, few months before, I asked them install a water meter so I could pay for what I actual use.  They sent me a letter informing me they'd install the meter (with a date) but if they couldn't install it that my bill would be around £275 a year.  By this time I'd paid off the arrears on the account.  They installed the meter.

 

A month or so after installing the meter they hit me with another £1000+ bill for the previous year tariff rate.  Basically asking for over £2000 from me in 2 years for water.

 

I contested the additional bill, stating it was clear I never used that and your own meter installation letter stated what I should be paying and they wouldn't have it, demanded I paid the bill.

 

I haven't paid it, but have continued to pay my water meter bill.

 

They've ruined my Experian credit rating/file with late payment markers every month for the past few years and 2 separate defaults in that time.  I'd resigned myself to writing off my Experian file for the time being but now they've decided to put all of the Experian markers on my other 2 credit files.

 

I totally get this was my fault and I tried to make it right, they still continue to harass me with this other ridiculous £1000+ bill.

 

Is there any ground for me to squash that £1000+?  Or have it reduced substantially?  I know they aren't going to remove the damage they've done to my credit files but I don't think it's right to have to pay that unrealistic sum.  I am guessing the answer is No of course - it'd be impossible for me to use that amount of water, they know it, I've paid the water meter they can see my usage but still they think it's "right" to pursue me for this.

 

Thank you.

 

 

 

[dx100uk]

send them an sar first off get all the details.

 

if you were not on a meter during the period of the the original £1200 bill and the subsequent additional £1000 bill , you would have been on their std rate for your property/area. i very much doubt that was £1200pyr!

something is wrong here. a small flat should not be £1200!!" more like £300

 

who is chasing you the water company or a powerless dca?

 

it's worthy to note any bill from outside of 6yrs from today is statute barred anyway

water is not a priority bill/debt unlike gas/electric and is treated the same any consumer finance debt.

[Ben021]

Thank you very much for the response @dx100uk

 

Yes, they said that it was the standard rate for my flat.  I live in a flat that's part of a building with 3 other flats (old house converted).  I said to them I couldn't understand how it can be remotely that high and they just kept saying that is what the rate was.

 

They are chasing me - Text messages, a recent debt collection letter, then them again.  What they've done is roll the entire bill into one so the old £1000+ bill is merged with the meter bills so they pursue me for the overall substantial debt.  I just pay the meter bill from that each time.

 

I wasn't sure if that was something they could do lawfully, rolling it into one but I guess maybe that was done to circumvent the statue by keeping it active?

 

I will proceed with the SAR immediately.

[dx100uk]

do you know if your other two neighbours have meters or are on a std tariff?

it might well help you to gain a better overall picture here if you ask them what they pay or did in the past?

then obv yours should have been akin to their tariffs

 

2 hours ago, Ben021 said:

They sent me a letter informing me they'd install the meter (with a date) but if they couldn't install it that my bill would be around £275 a year.

 

going by this figure^^^ i simply can't see how they can demand £1200 + another £1000 , that equates to around 8yrs of not paying the rate and you've only been there 8yrs! + have had a water meter for xx yrs now..

 

i'd knock up a simple spreadsheet and starting from your move in date, put that in for each year until the meter was installed.

then enter what you paid and when on their dates.