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Leading water consultants H²0 Building Services calls for major shake up of the water industry.

Author: Graham Mann, Water Audit Expert.

Leading water consultants H²0 Building Services calls for major shake up of the water industry.

Many water companies for years have been getting away with overcharging UK companies for far too long with little or no apparent regulation, and at present business customers have no recourse when overcharging has been exposed other than to take the relevant water company to court, preferring instead to settle on the offer of a refund from the water company, albeit in most cases substantially less than has actually been overcharged.

H²O Building Services estimates £millions of overcharging year on year, yet it appears that the regulator OFWAT agrees to amendments to the water companies scheme of charges thus enabling water companies to return only a very small amount of the overcharge.

This is the action of the regulator OFWAT who claims to: –

* Make sure the water companies deliver the best for consumers.

* Make sure that the water companies provide customers with a good quality and efficient services at a fair price.

* Monitor the companies performance and take action including enforcement to protect consumers interests.

The view of H²O Building Services is if OFWAT agree to the water companies application to substantially reduce refund payments by only having to give back the overcharges during the financial year of application then they are not working in the interests of the consumer and not protecting consumers. Certainly we here at H²O Building Services have numerous cases where water companies have made substantial overcharges and they claim in their defence “The onus is on the customer to inform us if the charges are incorrect as per our scheme of charges we will only refund back to 1st April of the year of the claim”

In reality where the water company has overcharged for surface water drainage charges or Band area charges over the last 6 years or so say for example £10,000  the customer will only receive around £ 1,600, the balance being £ 8,400 is retained by the water company with little or no recourse other than to apply for a full refund through the court system.

The Consumer Council for Water (C.C.W) are powerless and the water companies know this which is why there needs to be a change. The water companies spend £millions on marketing and promoting customer service, yet retaining £millions in overcharging is not in the interest of the consumer or good customer service.

We call on all water companies to change and pledge to refund in full any and all overcharges on application and back date the refund to the date they commenced overcharging.

Is your companies supplied water and waste water services by: –

* Scottish Water / Business Stream.

* United Utilities.

* Severn Trent Water.

* South Staffordshire Water.

* Northumbrian Water.

* Yorkshire Water.

If so there is a 7 out of 10 chance you are or have been overcharged, for a free no obligation water audit please send copies of your water bills to graham.mann@h2obuildingservices.co.uk.