Water bill £80 per month?

[Dibble135]

My mum is 80 and lives alone in a 2 bed, semi bungalow. She used to live there with my Dad who died in 2011.

I have been reviewing her bills lately to ensure all is in order and noticed on her bank statement United Utilities have been taking £80 per month via direct debit for at least a year.

She cannot find a bill so going to call them to make enquiries but can anyone hazard a guess as to why?

I have looked at their published tariffs online and as she lives alone I think it should be around £30 per month.

She does not have a meter and property was built in the late 80's/90's.

I had an unexpectedly high water bill (with a major company) nearly that high and it was because they had massively undercharged us the previous year and so we were paying the difference on that as well as paying a normal amount for the current year.

Although there are four of us...

That's nuts. The people in the house I owned before were paying 90 a month

I complained when I moved in and was put on a meter. We now pay 25!!!

The water companies are exploiting those who don't have a meter and who haven't asked for an assessment based on size of property and number of occupants.

If she doesn’t have a meter, then her bill will be based on the rateable value of her home. So to reduce it, if she is in a high band, you will need to get a meter installed. There’s no charge.

As a rule of thumb, they reckon that if a house is occupied by fewer people than it has bedrooms, it will be cheaper in a meter.

Or are you saying she is paying more than the Company is advertising as the rate for her Council Tax band? In that case, either what @Danascully2 says, or a mistake. It needs chasing up with the company. It won’t hurt to remind them of her age and vulnerability.

She's probably on a fixed tarif for the area and fixed tarifs are usually higher. They charge a set amount based on the average house size in her local area. So you could be living alone in a four bed and be charged the same amount as the family next door in the same house with two kids. On a fixed tarif, you could be away from your house for 6 months and not use any water, and you'd still owe them the minimum yearly fixed rate tarif...

She needs a meter reading installed and then she'll be charge for exactly what she's using. We got our meter installed for free.

If it was built after 1989 it will have a meter. They were brought in when Maggie Thatcher decided to tax people (poll tax) rather than property (the old council rates - NOT the modern council tax). It was the only fair way to pay for water.

@MrsMoastyToasty not necessarily some properties are not suitable for meters. Op @Dibble135 if that’s the case your dm can still get a discounted rate based on a meter not being suitable. But with no meter or exemption it’s a fixed rate.

@MyDcAreMarvel I worked in the water industry for 10 years. All post 1989 new builds or property conversions are metered. Only pre 89 properties that cannot be metered for technical reasons can have Assessed Measured Charges.
So , if OP's relative has a high bill it's either on water rates and has a high rateable value (which would have been set in the 70's) or it on a meter and consumption is high.

Thanks all. Spoke with UU this morning. Mum is not on a meter but only pays £80 per quarter not per month! They said it wouldn't be cheaper to install a meter. I’ve set up an online account now so can keep an eye on it going forward.

@cigarettesNalcohol

She's probably on a fixed tarif for the area and fixed tarifs are usually higher. They charge a set amount based on the average house size in her local area. So you could be living alone in a four bed and be charged the same amount as the family next door in the same house with two kids. On a fixed tarif, you could be away from your house for 6 months and not use any water, and you'd still owe them the minimum yearly fixed rate tarif...

She needs a meter reading installed and then she'll be charge for exactly what she's using. We got our meter installed for free.

I’ve never heard of that system - which regions does it operate in? The usual thing when there’s no meter is a fixed rate based on Council Tax band, so someone in a Band F property pays a fixed ratethat is higher than the fixed rate for someone in a BandA property.

The Band F person doesnt get to pay a lower rate just because the average house price in the area is lower.