Water Bills - Do you pay yours?

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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 22,736
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    CherryRose wrote: »
    My friend did too.

    When you first move into a property the water company send you a letter to he occupyer, I suppose if no one responds then they may presumme the property is unoccupied.

    I did not pay it for 6 months. i went through a severe financial bad patch. I had enough money for the mortgage, which had to come first. It was £136 I needed for the mortgage.
  • CherryRoseCherryRose Posts: 13,190
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    elke21 wrote: »

    My water bill has VAT added to it.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 10,625
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    CherryRose wrote: »
    My water bill has VAT added to it.

    Domestic or business use?

    http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/forms-rates/rates/goods-services.htm#4
  • CherryRoseCherryRose Posts: 13,190
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 10,625
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    CherryRose wrote: »
    domestic

    You've been done then
  • annette kurtenannette kurten Posts: 39,543
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    i didn`t pay mine for years. now it comes out of my benefit before i get it.
  • 3PS3PS Posts: 822
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    If i'm a couple of days late paying mine i get a red letter. "You must pay this months arrers and pay the next months as well"
  • DMN1968DMN1968 Posts: 2,875
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    The water company wanted to fit "trickle meters" to properties in our area where bills have not been paid. Not sure whether they have though.

    These greatly restrict the water flow into the house, so it takes ages to fill the kettle.
  • DaisyBumblerootDaisyBumbleroot Posts: 24,763
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    posh1 wrote: »
    You do seem very naive may I say.

    :o:D. I must be! I swear I've never heard of people just refusing to pay their water bills, same as gas and electric etc... :o

    I know people get behind with utilities, but outright refusing and getting away with it because it can't be enforced... :confused:
  • goldieloxgoldielox Posts: 8,425
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    This is an interesting read on the subject of not paying certain bills

    http://www.yourstrawman.com/
  • posh1posh1 Posts: 495
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    i didn`t pay mine for years. now it comes out of my benefit before i get it.

    Its a hard life isnt it?
  • DaisyBumblerootDaisyBumbleroot Posts: 24,763
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    goldielox wrote: »
    This is an interesting read on the subject of not paying certain bills

    http://www.yourstrawman.com/

    Is this all true!? I saw something like this posted on an American friends Facebook page wrt taxation in the USA being unconstitutional.
  • annette kurtenannette kurten Posts: 39,543
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    posh1 wrote: »
    Its a hard life isnt it?

    :confused::confused::confused:

    what`s that supposed to mean?
  • goldieloxgoldielox Posts: 8,425
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    Is this all true!? I saw something like this posted on an American friends Facebook page wrt taxation in the USA being unconstitutional.

    I don't know. I know some of it is, and it definitely applies where credit cards are concerned. People have succeeded against credit card companies following that advice.

    Someone I knwo pointed me towards this site. He stopped paying his TV licence and water rates over a year ago, following this site to the letter and (as yet) they haven't come after him (or all his mates who he told and who followed suit) yet.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,667
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    We don't have water bills in NI :p

    It's included in our rates bill.

    Same here included in Council Tax. Once again the thread refers to England.....same old....
  • DaisyBumblerootDaisyBumbleroot Posts: 24,763
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    goldielox wrote: »
    I don't know. I know some of it is, and it definitely applies where credit cards are concerned. People have succeeded against credit card companies following that advice.

    Someone I knwo pointed me towards this site. He stopped paying his TV licence and water rates over a year ago, following this site to the letter and (as yet) they haven't come after him (or all his mates who he told and who followed suit) yet.

    :eek: wooooaaah.... Potential for trouble if the masses get wind of it :D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 21,093
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    HenryBane wrote: »
    I do, I pay in instalments each month. I would like a water meter though, I don't think I use as much as the guy upstairs who has his girlfriend living with him and I don't see why I should pay the same as him. Not sure if a water meter is possible as the property is a renovated house and I think I'd need to have a separate pipe to the mains which may cost me more money than I'd save.

    I didn't pay one month and my arrangement was cancelled and what I owed sent to bailiffs to collect. Took a few phone calls to get the arrangement back on and the bailiffs off my back.

    If they can't fit one, they'll do an estimate of what you would use and lower your bill anyway.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 22,736
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    I am on a water meter and they take 44 quid a month from me. I just do not understand it. It is a two bed semit, with two occupants. All my firends are paying 20 quid!!

    I seriously just can not understand it.
  • TennisFreak08TennisFreak08 Posts: 9,451
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    3PS wrote: »
    My mate never pays her water as she says thay they can't cut you off if you have a child under 5. Actually know 3 ppl who don't pay. When one got caught up with the judge said he had to pay 5 pounds a week back. My dad didn't pay years ago and they cut out hot water off. I always pay mine. Bloody rip of at 49 quid . Stupid that they do it on your house valuation.

    Nothing to do with having a child under 5. Water companies are legally prohibited from disconnecting a water supply on public health grounds. Unflushable toilets could lead to disease spreading like wildfire.
  • MrsWatermelonMrsWatermelon Posts: 3,209
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    I am on a water meter and they take 44 quid a month from me. I just do not understand it. It is a two bed semit, with two occupants. All my firends are paying 20 quid!!

    I seriously just can not understand it.

    Is your sewerage charge spread out monthly as well, maybe?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,478
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    Mine is far too high, but Thames Water can not fit a meter to my property. It's £370 a year for a one bed flat. I am not even there most of the bloody time.
    If you have asked for a water meter and they can't fit it then they will probably charge you an assessed charge, the rates of which are here http://www.thameswater.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/corp/hs.xsl/568.htm

    For a one bedroomed place it is £251 this coming year.
  • 3PS3PS Posts: 822
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    Nothing to do with having a child under 5. Water companies are legally prohibited from disconnecting a water supply on public health grounds. Unflushable toilets could lead to disease spreading like wildfire.

    This was many years ago when that was actually true. They have might of changed the law now but i doubt my mate would be bothered either way.
    My rates are nearly 50 quid a month. I can see the incentive of not paying that and keeping the money, but can't be bothered with all the hassle
  • TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,395
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    Hypnodisc wrote: »
    Received my yearly water bill the other day and it got me thinking;

    I'm aware of quite a few people who do not pay their water bill despite reminders - some have never even had a reminder.

    I've read that water companies cannot disconnect you (although I've also seen things to counter this) and also that unofficially they rarely chase up non-payers as it's supposedly more trouble than it's worth.

    So, are there any here who successfully get away with not paying their water bill?

    I will be paying mine - it's cheap as I'm only in a 1 bedroom place, but I can see the justification for not paying, I'm not particularly happy with Thames Water myself because of the hosepipe ban (yet they waste ridiculously high volumes of water a year due to leaks) and have abysmal customer service but I'd rather a quiet life :cool:

    The privatised water companies have expressed their wish to cut either cut off/severely restrict by drip flow water supplies to non-paying households. However, they have never been able to get their way because they've been overruled by the regulator and politicians on grounds of health and disease issues.

    That said, this government is unduly harsh and I wouldn't be surprised if the privatised water companies got a friendly reception this time round. :eek:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,478
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    They used to cut people's water off for non payment of bills. In the late 1970s I lived in Rainhill, Merseyside for a while and my friend who had a baby and whose husband was on the dole, had her water cut off. It lasted a few days before they made some arrangement with social security to take the money from his dole payments direct. My friend would come to mine late at night with all sorts of bottles in order to get drinking water for the next day. I'm glad things have changed and they no longer cut people's supply off.
  • yellowparkyellowpark Posts: 2,125
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    Water bills to up, £29 per household.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23664986

    yippie yippie yeah :D:)
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