My water supplier STWA - need more regulation.

macabethiel · 19-02-2020, 22:39

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.

19-02-2020, 22:39	#1
macabethiel Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Derby Vehicle: Freelander & Jeep GC 3.0 Posts: 4,416	My water supplier STWA - need more regulation. 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.