Water Meter installed. Are savings backdatable?

[pencil]

I have had a water meter installed and my monthly payments have dropped from £22 to 13 a month. Am I legally entitled to a refund for the extra I have been paying?

[kasdizz]

They will have cancelled your unmeasured bill from the instalation date, and the £13 is to cover these new quarterly bills in advance. The £22 was probably your yearly u/m bill divided by 12 (unless you are in arrears). If it was over less than 12 months then yes, you can get a refund, but I'd wait.

Provide readings when you are sent estimated bills. Wait for one year, and then if you end up in credit either get it refunded or change the instalment amount.

[pencil]

Thanks.

[kasdizz]

Yeah, you can only pay metered charges when a meter has been fitted of course. Charges before a meter is fitted are based on the old Ratable Value system, and are non-refundable. This was enshrined in the Water Act.

 

But, Expressit, you are wrong in confusing instalment agreements with bills (charges). Water companies set up instalments over 12 or 10 months. If Pencil was paying on his U/M over 10 months then he would be in credit. Instalment agreements can get confusing when you change from U/M to M charges.

[kasdizz]

And you are right in saying that charges are not backdateable, although overpayment is. That's probaby the clearest answer to be honest. There are some speculative ways around this but these have no legal precedence.

 

Credit accounts are usually picked up after a year, and the instalment agreements are ammended.

 

I work in the long-term debt/legal team for a water company (quite a controversial one!), and this is the biggest gripe customers have other than the rates themselves. Maybe evolution of the various Water Acts will be neccessary in future years.