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Dealing With UK Water Rates Debts: What You Need To Know
UK Water Rates YOU CANNOT BE DISCONNECTED FOR WATER RATES DEBTS Water companies can no longer disconnect your water supply if you are in arrears. The rules changed on 30th June 1999. They also cannot install anything in your home that restricts the flow of water from the taps. If the water company threatens to disconnect you for being in arrears, complain to OFWAT, the body that regulates the water companies. You can complain to OFWAT through your regional Watervoice customer service committee. See complaints section. Warning: Some water companies are threatening to disconnect a property on the basis that "they think the property is empty". Make sure you keep in touch with the company as they may attempt to do this if no one has responded to their letters for some time. If you have a threat of disconnection to your supply, ring the water company and make sure they understand that you are still in the property and they cannot disconnect the supply. HOW DO I DEAL WITH WATER RATES ARREARS? You should carry on including your current water rates in the STEP 2 OUTGOINGS section of your personal budget. This is because water is an ongoing bill. If you have water rates arrears then they no longer need to be treated as a priority debt. You can make an offer of repayment that you can afford using your budget sheet along with your other credit debts in STEP 6. If you are on Income Support/Pension Credit/Job Seeker's Allowance you can ask the Department of Work & Pensions (DWP) to deduct a sum to cover current water rates and a standard amount towards the arrears from your benefit each week. If you do not agree a repayment arrangement then the water company can issue a County Court Claim against you to ask you to repay the money you owe. You can make an offer of payment by filling in the Reply Form to the Claim (N9a) and sending this back to your water company within the time limit. If the court agrees with your offer then you will be told to pay the debt off in instalments. RIGHTS TO WATER METERS From April 2000 you have the right to have a water meter put in so that you are charged on the basis of the water you actually use. You can swap back to the usual non-metered system within 12 months if you don't like the water meter; e.g. your bills are higher than before. It may be cheaper to have a water meter put in if you don't use much water e.g. you are single or out all day. Contact your water company, as some suppliers will advise you if your bills are likely to be cheaper if you move to a water meter. HELP WITH HIGH BILLS There are new rights to get some help with water bills if you are on a low income and on a water meter. You will only pay the average bill that the water company charges overall so if you use a lot of water then your bill will go down. To qualify for help you must be on a water meter, and someone in the household must be on one of these benefits: Income Support and there are three or more children under 16 in the household, or someone in the household has a medical condition that means extra water use such as: Flaky skin disease You can get an application form from your water company. You need to give proof of the benefit you are receiving and you will need to explain your medical condition in detail. You can stay on the scheme for a year and then have to re-apply. COMPLAINTS If you have a complaint about your water company you should speak or write to your water company first. Each water company should have a complaints procedure they can send you. Your water company should reply to your complaint within 10 working days. If you are not happy with the outcome you can complain to OFWAT. Your regional customer service committee known as "Watervoice" will deal with your complaint. To find out which Watervoice Regional Office to complain to, contact: OFWAT Watervoice WATER TRUST FUNDS A number of water companies operate charitable trust funds. Some offer help only with water and sewerage debt; others are prepared to help with other priority debts and even bankruptcy fees in certain situations. Others offer 'restart schemes'. These operate on the basis of you entering into a regular payment scheme, and payments made are then matched by the trust fund. If you maintain the arrangement, the remaining debt may be written off. You will need to contact the trust fund to find out how to apply. You will usually have to fill in a form. You may need an advice agency to help you. CHARITABLE TRUST FUNDS South Staffordshire Water Trust Fund Only pay for water debts. You must show some commitment to pay £1.00 or more a week for 2 months. To apply you need a personal budget sheet completed by an adviser and a covering letter. Anglian Water Trust Fund www.awtf.org.uk Hartlepool Water, Tendring Hundred Water, Cambridge Water, Three Valleys Water, Essex & Suffolk Water are either owned by Anglian Water or contribute towards its trust fund and you can also apply to the Anglian fund if you are a customer of one of these companies. EOS Foundation www.eosfoundation.org.uk Severn Trent Water Trust Fund www.sttf.org.uk WATER COMPANIES OPERATING RESTART SCHEMES United Utilities www.unitedutilities.com Thames Water www.thames-water.com (water company website only) Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru Bristol Water www.bristolwater.co.uk (water company website only) Apply in writing to: South West Water www.southwestwater.co.uk The author, Michael Sherriff, has written 100's of articles relating to UK credit advice and rules of the UK finance industry. His UK best selling ebook "UK Credit Secrets" has been revised with the 2005 Edition now available. The most concise book ever written for repairing your credit history in the UK. Finally all the myths have been blown away and the truth revealed to the general public. Find out more at http://ukcreditsecrets.co.uk
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