My water supplier STWA - need more regulation.

[macabethiel]

Yesterday I had an e-mail from S.T.W.A. to advise me that my annual statement of account was ready to view. for my metered water use.

I have been on a water meter for almost 3 years. Before I went onto metered Water I was paying about £730 a year water rates as our house is in the Derby City Limits and when it was built it was rated from new at a higher price as it had Central Heating, a Fitted Kitchen & a Brick Garage - back in 1968 that increased the rateable value of the property.

The rules then moved away from Rateable Value for Poll Tax & now Council Tax but Water Rates still use the old Rateable Value to calculate your water rates. I tried to appeal my Rateable Value but gave up when I realised I would have to pay the costs if I lost my appeal.

There are about 25 houses identical to ours on the estate where we live but ours had the highest rateable value even though several others have had substantial extensions.

For the year end my annual statement of account was £36 in credit after all charges such as surface water etc, I pay £42 pcm water rates.

I then saw that my Direct Debit was automatically increased to £47.87 even though my account was in credit, really it should have gone down to £39 pcm to use up my credit.

I decided to go onto the live chat Bot where I had a live chat with someone in accounts. I asked them why my Direct Debit had increased by 13.97% when I had £36 credit from the previous year.

I was advised that in the previous year my account was £39 in credit so I was now using more water - hence the increase in direct debit that is calculated by "The Accounting System". I replied that on that basis out of the 4 million or so of STWA customers if they all had £30 in credit then STWA had £120 million of customers money on which no interest was given so they had a massive bank balance by holding customers overpayment through the year.

I was then advised my Direct Debit would be returned to £42 ! I should have asked for it to be £39 to use up my credit but didn't want to push it.

A very small victory -- Rant Over.

[terranosaurusdoug]

I would imagine your increase in water usage was temporary too, the builders and plasterers and other tradesmen will have used plenty doing the repairs

[solarman216]

The direct debit system for utilities has always been biased to the supplier, as you say they have millions of customers money in the bank, Rick

[don simon]

I had this with Scottish Power, they increased it, I challenged and they reduced the DD.... for one month. And they lost a customer. All they want is those millions in the bank to earn money from it. You should ask for the interest even if it is 0.001p, it'll cost them to process it and makes the victory slightly sweeter.

[macabethiel]

Originally Posted by don simon

I had this with Scottish Power, they increased it, I challenged and they reduced the DD.... for one month. And they lost a customer. All they want is those millions in the bank to earn money from it. You should ask for the interest even if it is 0.001p, it'll cost them to process it and makes the victory slightly sweeter.

I used to have my Gas & Electric with OVO they give you 5% APR interest applied monthly as a reduction on your bill - better rate that the Bank !

[don simon]

Originally Posted by macabethiel

I used to have my Gas & Electric with OVO they give you 5% APR interest applied monthly as a reduction on your bill - better rate that the Bank !

Sacked them off once I found out the boss was pro Brexit. They were slightly more exprensive and I can get green leccy from other sources.

[macabethiel]

Originally Posted by don simon

Sacked them off once I found out the boss was pro Brexit. They were slightly more exprensive and I can get green leccy from other sources.

I left to go for cheaper Electricity as I am a high energy user - now with Greenerenergy but it's not particularly green just cheaper per KWh.

[don simon]

Eon, cheap and 100% green.