How do we find out how our water bill is calculated?

• Friday, 11 December 2009
• Kathleen Retourne
• 0 Comments

How do we find out how our water bill is calculated? Our water is supplied via a single meter and the bill is then divided between the residents (charge of one person to single occupancy homes and two persons for double occupancy). Despite repeated requests, we do not get a copy of the bill to check our charges against, nor do we get our bills at regular quarterly presentation. It is sometimes three, four or even six months.
However the cost has escalated to the point where we contacted the water board to query for leaks and charges. We were told the average local domestic charging for our area and paid this amount. The water company has also inspected for leaks and the possibility of installing water meters, although that will depend on the park owners.
We then received a letter from the park owner stating that the outstanding amount be paid within 21 days plus interest for any extension on this time. This deficit is caused by the difference in what he was billing on the initial disputed bills and what the water board said the average was for this area.
On checking the bills we then saw that he had actually been credited for leak adjustment, which was not passed on to us.
The second query is on his demand for interest on what he claims is the outstanding amount.
Could this - because it is a disputed amount without any attempt on his part to resolve - be considered as him making interest on the water charging, which we understand to be illegal?

GRAHAM ADVISES
The issues you describe fall under both the Water Resale Order 2006 and the Mobile Homes Act 1983. In the case of the former, the Order provides a remedy for you to apply to an owner who fails to respond with information on the makeup of the charges to the requesting occupier. In the case of the latter, there is no direct remedy only that you may apply to the local County Court for an order that the owner provides the information. Clearly the former is the cheaper of the two and worth applying first. You can obtain a copy of the 2006 Order from the Ofwat website. Its called, ‘Guide to Water Resale.'
The Water Resale Order provides that if you have not received sufficient information from the site owner (reseller) on how your water bill has been calculated with supporting evidence such as the water company's invoice, having requested same in writing, you are entitled to apply a penalty. Note you must give the seller four weeks from the date of your written request for information.
The penalty provides that you can call the main supplier to ascertain the level of average local domestic consumers water bill which you have apparently done.
You are then entitled to pay your reseller one half of that average consumer's water bill. You are entitled to pay this reduced sum until the reseller provides the information sought.
This loss to the reseller is not recoverable. In other words, the reseller cannot, once having provided the information, expect the consumer to pay the sums outstanding as a result of the reduced payments being made.
As a result of the foregoing (and provided you have made deductions in accordance with the 2006 Order), the owner/reseller's letter ‘outstanding monies due', is of no effect.