Water Rates - new rules & Water Trust Funds

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1. You cannot be disconnected for water rates debts
2. How to deal with water rates arrears
3. Rights to water meters
4. Help with high bills
5. Complaints
6. Water Trust Funds

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 30 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 or phone us on 0800 074 6918 for advice.

You can complain to Ofwat through your local Consumer Council for Water 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.

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How to 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.

Our information pack "Dealing with your Debts" includes a step by step guide to completing your personal budget and how to negotiate with creditors. Please note this is a PDF file and will require the Adobe Acrobat Reader. Phone us for advice.

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. For more information ask for our factsheet "Replying to a county court claim". Phone us for advice.

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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.

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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
• income based job seeker's allowance
• pension credit
• working tax credit
• child tax credit (except families who receive the family element of child tax credit only)
• housing benefit
• council tax benefit

and

there are three or more children under 19 in the household,

or

someone in the household has a medical condition that means extra water use such as:

• flaky skin disease
• weeping skin disease, i.e. eczema, psoriasis, varicose ulcers
• incontinence
• abdominal stomas
• renal failure (unless health authority helps with water costs already)
• Crohn's disease
• ulcerative colitis.

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. If you have a medical condition that is not listed you can still quality if you use large amounts of water. You need a doctor's certificate as proof. You can stay on the scheme for a year and then have to re-apply.

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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 then you can complain to the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater). This is independent from the water company and will investigate your complaint. You need to send your complaint to the local CCWater committee that covers your area. Check the contact details on their website or ring the head office. If the water company does not comply with their decision then CCWater will refer your complaint to Ofwat. Ofwat is the independent regulator for water services.

Ofwat
Centre City Tower
7 Hill Street
Birmingham
B5 4UA
Tel: 0121 625 1300.
www.ofwat.gov.uk

The Consumer Council for Water (CCWater)
Tel: 0845 039 2837.
www.ccwater.org.uk

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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. Phone us for advice.

CHARITABLE TRUST FUNDS

Anglian Water Trust Fund www.awtf.org.uk
PO Box 42, Peterborough, PE3 8XH. Telephone 01733 421 021. Email: awtf@charisgrants.com
As well as water and sewerage debts they may also pay bankruptcy fees and any other bills you are having difficulty paying.

Hartlepool 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
PO Box 42, Peterborough PE3 8XH
Telephone: 01733 421 021
Email: eos@charisgrants.com
Will help with water debts and other essential bills. You will need to fill in an application form with proof of income. You must be a customer of Portsmouth Water, Tendring Hundred Water, Folkestone and Dover Water, Mid Kent Water, Bournemouth & West Hampshire Water, South East Water

Severn Trent Water Trust Fund www.sttf.org.uk
Telephone: 0121 355 77 66
Email: office@sttf.org.uk
As well as water and sewerage debts they may also pay bankruptcy fees and any other bills you are having difficulty paying.

South Staffordshire Water Trust Fund
www.south-staffs-water.co.uk (water company website only)
Telephone: 01922 63 82 82
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.

Thames Water Trust Fund www.twtf.org.uk
Telephone: 0845  456 6863
Email: office@twtf.org.uk
The Trust can assist with water and sewerage charges.  In certain cases they can also help towards other bills or costs that you cannot manage.

United Utilities Trust Fund www.uutf.org.uk
Email: contact@uutf.org.uk Telephone: 0845 179 1791
PO Box 12658 Sutton Coldfield West Midlands B73 9DF

Yorkshire Water Community Trust www.ywct.org.uk
Telephone: 0845 1 24 24 26
info@ywct.org.uk
Only assist with water or sewerage arrears that are no more than two years old and less than £1000. You must have at least one priority debt as well as water arrears.

WATER COMPANIES OPERATING RESTART SCHEMES
(Trust fund matches your payments on your arrears)

Thames Water www.thames-water.com (water company website only)
Telephone: 0845 9200 888 (customer helpline)
 "Customer Assistance Fund" only assists with water or sewerage charges and they prefer that you are referred by a local advice centre/NDL/CAB/Social Services/Age Concern. You may be visited in your home.

Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru
Telephone: 0800 052 0145
"Customer Assistance Fund" You must be referred by a money adviser and complete an application form. After you have made payments for 6 months, the fund pays half your water arrears. After another 6 months' payments the rest of the arrears will be paid.

Bristol Water www.bristol-water.co.uk (water company website only)
Apply in writing to:
BWBSL, 1 Clevedon Walk, Nailsea, Bristol BS48 1WW.
You have to write to them to request to be considered for the restart scheme. You may then be visited in your home.

Wessex Water: www.wessexwater.co.uk
Telephone: 0845 600 3600
BWBSL 1 Clevedon Walk, Nailsea, Bristol, BS48 1WW.
Covers water or sewage charges. Scheme assists customers who have struggled to pay in the past and built up substantial arrears. If you keep to an agreed payment arrangement, Wessex Water may be able to help you with the arrears. You can write in, telephone or apply via an advice agency.

South West Water www.southwestwater.co.uk
Telephone: 0800 169 1133 (customer services)
"Special Assistance Scheme" helps with water charges only. Application forms from CAB's and Age Concern. You have to provide evidence that you are trying to pay or stick to a repayment programme.

Remember: You can always Phone us for advice about any difficulty you are having in dealing with your debts

0800 074 6918

© Copyright National Debtline 1994 (updated October 2005)