Yorkshire Water.

[Workingman]

I am going to have a rant!

Checking my accounts and I noticed that my DD had gone up by 80%. This was totally unexpected as I had not received any notification of such an increase - it just happened.

So, it's on to the phone for a good old complaint. I am on a remote reading meter and it turns out that my usage was above the estimate when the DD was set up, but rather than letting me know and altering the DD they let me slide into debt for the past year! Apparently my annual account was sent out on the 10th July with the new DD to be taken on the 17th, but I never received the bill - it is still in the post.

I have now paid off quite a large sum to clear the debt and have gone over to quarterly paper billing so will only pay for the water used in future.

Two things bug me. 1. Why cannot auto billing be adjusted for each month's actual usage rather than estimates picked out of thin air? 2. With water you are stuck with your local supplier no matter how bad they are, unlike with gas or electricity.

[saundra]

Just paid my Yorkshire water bill
It said your water consumption has gone down
Yes it has because they estimate d it last quarter
This reading was a meter reading
That's why I don't do D D

Paper bills,for me

[TheOstrich]

That's annoying, WM. On 1/2 yearly water bills here - but we pay monthly DD and I do read the water meter myself every so often just to make sure there's no nasty surprises in the pipeline.

We've avoided smart metering so far and the gas and lecky suppliers DD do go up and down a fair bit, but again I keep an eye on it, especially the gas where the seasonal usage does vary ....

[JoM]

We’re with, obviously not through choice, South Staffs Water and we’re billed half yearly. The last two have been estimated and while one seemed about right I’d like to think/hope that the more recent was was over estimated. We tend to have a high and a low(ish) bill, high being around £250 and low around £170, and it usually goes that they estimate one and read one every year but the the last two have both been around £250.
I’ve never read the water meter because it doesn’t look very easy to get to but I think I’d better get out on the footpath and have a look.

[jenniren]

80% is unreasonable without any prior notice WM, no wonder you were annoyed.

We pay for our gas and electricity with DD, and yes they do fluctuate a bit according to time of year, but we're always notified in advance. Water is half yearly and we get a paper bill so plenty of time to complain if we think it's excessive.

[Kaz]

That's a huge hike with no prior warning Frank We get billed twice-yearly with Severn Trent.

[cromwell]

We have our usage estimated by YW at the start of the year and pay monthly, so we know how much the bill is going to be.

[Workingman]

We have our usage estimated by YW at the start of the year and pay monthly, so we know how much the bill is going to be.

That's what I thought, but YW underestimated by a long way, yet even though they knew I was running up debts they did not adjust the DD but let me carry on for a year leaving me with either almost double the bill for next year or paying off the debt.

I opted to pay, but what about the many who are currently living hand to mouth - the JAMs? Such a situation could put them in real hardship or even facing recovery action and legal costs to add to their woes. It's not on.

[meriad]

The advantage of a joint mains incoming - I don't have a water meter and have a flat rate... not sure how much I'd pay if I were on a meter but what with the garden, pond, animals etc I'm always glad that I have a flat rate. I pay just over £200 a year for mains in and sewer out and that works for me

My electricity / gas DD has just been reduced as it always is come this time of year, then come winter they up it again - why they don't just figure out a yearly average and do that I don't know, but hey

[TheOstrich]

Just a thought - there isn't a leak, is there? Can you compare the usage with back bills?