United Utilities price hike?

[dexter]

Just got home and found my latest water bill from United Utilities on the mat. It would appear that taking into account the best information they have about me and an increase for any planed price changes my bill will rise by 26.4% next month!!
I don't know what information they have about me. I live alone, my circumstances have not changed for the last 5 years and my watter consumption has been virtually the same year to year. Oh and I was almost £24 in credit so in real terms the increase is even more!
I`ve had a nightmare of a year with this lot, my last bill was twice as much as previously. The bill stated that the meter had been read so I went and checked it myself, the view plate covering the numbers was covered in condensation making it impossible to take a reading and the bill stated it had been done 5 days previously. Fortunately,my next door neighbour works for United Utilities and I told him about the size of my bill and the fact that the meter was unreadable. "It happens all the time,so they just guess it" he said.
Well this guess was almost 4000 gallons over! Took me an age to sort that out and now it seems this rant will continue on the phone tomorrow. Check your meters guys, you never know when some Muppet just couldn't be Ar**d to do his job.

Dex

 

[Grinding One]

Beats hauling water by hand :? But yeah the guy should do his job right.

 

[devonwoody]

If you want to complain about water charges, come and live in the West Country, we have been paying around 100% above anyone elses costs in the country (to get rid of the soot you leave with us)

 

[RogerS]

... (to get rid of the soot you leave with us)

Ummm? How does that work then, dw, given that the prevailing wind direction in the country is from the South West?

 

[devonwoody]

... (to get rid of the soot you leave with us)

Ummm? How does that work then, dw, given that the prevailing wind direction in the country is from the South West?

I think all the visitors must visit Lands End.

 

[head clansman]

hi

hmm i assume your water bill was worked out on there old council rates system in your area , you say you live alone , i think if you work out the cost per litre it would pay you to have a water meter installed .

there is away to work it out Many years ago i installed my own indoor meter so i could monitor how much water was being used for that reason but with no 1 son wasting it like its going out of fashion i abandoned the idea mind you he's moving in DEC so it will be time to start again with the monitoring , what monitoring i did get done it did show there is quite a saving to be made , not a lot of point doing it with a family though probably better off paying in the old way .hc

 

[RogerS]

If it's yellow, let it mellow.
If it's brown, flush it down.

 

[Tom K]

hi

hmm i assume your water bill was worked out on there old council rates system in your area , you say you live alone , i think if you work out the cost per litre it would pay you to have a water meter installed .

The bill stated that the meter had been read so I went and checked it myself, the view plate covering the numbers was covered in condensation making it impossible to take a reading and the bill stated it had been done 5 days previously. Fortunately,my next door neighbour works for United Utilities and I told him about the size of my bill and the fact that the meter was unreadable. "It happens all the time,so they just guess it" he said.

Sometimes its helpful to actually read the post mac :roll:

 

[dexter]

WOW!! Hard to believe what has just happened considering the agro I`ve had with them this year.
I phoned their customer support line expecting the usual battle but spoke to a very friendly and amiable bloke who looked at my account and agreed that the calculations were way off the mark and he would adjust them right away.
I nearly fell off my chair when he told me the new figure, 10% less than I`m paying now! He couldn't explain why they were so far out and why my bill has been reassessed after only six months but told me he would get that looked into as well.
A story with a happy ending, (probably only until their next bill lands on the mat.)

Dex

 

[big soft moose]

If it's yellow, let it mellow.
If it's brown, flush it down.

or just pee in your cistern and use that to flush the solids - there maybe somethig of a smell.... and quite possibly divorce proceedings... in the air tho...

 

[devonwoody]

The most economical way is to start or to enrich a compost bin in the garden.

I can see some pictures coming in of members sitting on their compost bins.