89 y/o aunty, £6000 bill for Thames Water leak that is not her fault

[Vitamin33]

Update 5th March:
Thames Water called today, and the £6k bill is now down to £157, to be properly confirmed in a week or so. Turns out, from what I can gather, that they installed a smart meter in the property and thereafter used a few estimated readings based on my aunty's prior usage. Then a proper reading was taken that generated the £6k bill, so it must be that the smart meter initial counter was set higher than zero. NHG made a good point; that had the bill been accurate the flats would have suffered serious damage for that amount of water to have leaked. TW acknowledged NHG had sent in documents last Oct/Nov time which had gone into some kind of black hole. Unbelievable though that at the time the £6k bill was generated noone at TW thought to question it, instead they just sent demand and hounded my aunty. I did touch on compensation but TW said they can't compensate for stress or anything but that it may be possible to offer a goodwill gesture that will wipe off the £157. I hope they do but still seems unfair.

Now there's a new issue; the estiamted charge for my aunty's bill for the year beginning in April in her new assisted-living flat in Plaistow E13 is a whopping £680. It's little more than a bedsit, no washing machine or bath, minimal use of water. TW only mentioned this in passing to me and I gulped. Now they are going to try and install a smart meter (I will ask them to take a photo of initial read) but they that said may not be possible. It's not just my aunty who's affected, all the other residents have had their new estimated bills and just as high, and from what I gather no one has a smart meter. The reason for bill being so high is to do with it being based on rateable value of the property. If a smart meter can't for some reason be installed then one option is to get the property revalued but I worry about that in case it turns out they charge even more.

Main thing is that progress has been made re the £6K bill and I'm really grateful to you both; Echat11 and PallasAthena, for your guidance and help, which made a big difference.

[echat11]

Well done so far,

If you can access maybe take a picture yourself, only if it's safe to do so - (I will ask them to take a photo of initial read).
You really need to keep on top of this and head things off.

[des8]

[QUOTE=Vitamin33;n1702230
Now there's a new issue; the estiamted charge for my aunty's bill for the year beginning in April in her new assisted-living flat in Plaistow E13 is a whopping £680. It's little more than a bedsit, no washing machine or bath, minimal use of water. TW only mentioned this in passing to me and I gulped. Now they are going to try and install a smart meter (I will ask them to take a photo of initial read) but they that said may not be possible. It's not just my aunty who's affected, all the other residents have had their new estimated bills and just as high, and from what I gather no one has a smart meter. The reason for bill being so high is to do with it being based on rateable value of the property. If a smart meter can't for some reason be installed then one option is to get the property revalued but I worry about that in case it turns out they charge even more..

[/QUOTE]

Just wondering if your aunt might be eligible for a social tariff https://www.thameswater.co.uk/news/w...ir-water-bills

[Vitamin33]

Just wondering if your aunt might be eligible for a social tariff https://www.thameswater.co.uk/news/w...ir-water-bills

Thanks vm. DES8 I'll check this out.

[Vitamin33]

Well done so far,

If you can access maybe take a picture yourself, only if it's safe to do so - (I will ask them to take a photo of initial read).
You really need to keep on top of this and head things off.

Good point, especially given what's happened. I'll tell my aunty to get someone else (who lives in the block) to take a photo of meter once it's installed, or her granddaughter could pop over. Thanks

[PallasAthena]

Now there's a new issue; the estiamted charge for my aunty's bill for the year beginning in April in her new assisted-living flat in Plaistow E13 is a whopping £680. It's little more than a bedsit, no washing machine or bath, minimal use of water. TW only mentioned this in passing to me and I gulped. Now they are going to try and install a smart meter (I will ask them to take a photo of initial read) but they that said may not be possible. It's not just my aunty who's affected, all the other residents have had their new estimated bills and just as high, and from what I gather no one has a smart meter. The reason for bill being so high is to do with it being based on rateable value of the property. If a smart meter can't for some reason be installed then one option is to get the property revalued but I worry about that in case it turns out they charge even more.

I sympathise. I'm with Thames Water and they just told me my annual bill (metered supply) will more than double from £336 to £684.

Their explanations about water usage I'm still trying to get to the bottom of but what I did discover from digging into the bowels of the TW website is how they are applying the much-publicised 35% increase over 5 years approved by OFWAT.

I innocently assumed that the increase would apply in equal installments over 5 years. Nope, not a bit of it. TW have increased their price per cubic metre of water this year, year 1 of the 5-year plan, by 30%! And the Standing Charge by 120%....

So their approved 35%-over-5-year-increase is nearly all being loaded onto 2025-26. And then they have the nerve to present this as a benefit to customers because next year's rise will be lower: "The price rise next year is however expected to be much lower than in this year, and will be more in line with inflation".

Oh and the small print reveals that the OFWAT approved rise isn't 35% it's 35% + INFLATION

Sorry, this probably doesn't help you at all but I feel better for having a rant about TW

[Vitamin33]

I sympathise. I'm with Thames Water and they just told me my annual bill (metered supply) will more than double from £336 to £684.

Their explanations about water usage I'm still trying to get to the bottom of but what I did discover from digging into the bowels of the TW website is how they are applying the much-publicised 35% increase over 5 years approved by OFWAT.

I innocently assumed that the increase would apply in equal installments over 5 years. Nope, not a bit of it. TW have increased their price per cubic metre of water this year, year 1 of the 5-year plan, by 30%! And the Standing Charge by 120%....

So their approved 35%-over-5-year-increase is nearly all being loaded onto 2025-26. And then they have the nerve to present this as a benefit to customers because next year's rise will be lower: "The price rise next year is however expected to be much lower than in this year, and will be more in line with inflation".

Oh and the small print reveals that the OFWAT approved rise isn't 35% it's 35% + INFLATION

Sorry, this probably doesn't help you at all but I feel better for having a rant about TW

Thanks, PallasAthena; actually, this is useful as I can show my aunty, so she's aware she's not alone. Shocking they can get away with it.

[Vitamin33]

Update 12 April 2025. Thank you to everyone. All now sorted, as of yesterday; the £6k has been wiped off her account and she is now on the discounted tariff in her new flat. Thanks for tip on that, Des8. A big relief. Thanks again to all.

[Vitamin33]

Update 12 April 2025: I posted this yesterday but not sure it went live. Thank you to everyone. All now sorted, as of yesterday 11 April); the £6k has been completely wiped off her account and she is now on the discounted social tariff in her new flat. She wasn't able to get a smart meter fitted as her boiler serves a few flats, so they adjusted her bill for this year, which would have been a whopping £630, down to £535, as she is 'single usage' or something. And with social tarriff that has been discounted by 50% Thanks for tip on that, Des8. A big relief. Thanks again to all.