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Water company overcharges, who are the worst offenders?
Author: Graham Mann, Water Audit Expert.
As we get closer to the date when water and waste water bills have the annual increases applied 1st April each year it triggers thoughts of the many business’s up and down the country with water company overcharges, some by a small amount others a significant amount.
Businesses attempt to protect against any overcharges by taking out water bill validation contracts, and in my many years experience this is merely a water bill checking exercise at pretty low level, more often than not these services are taken on as an “add on” to existing gas and electric bill validation, there is simply no comparison.
In these instances there will be many £millions on client accounts of overcharges and unclaimed refunds, not to mention many other water savings opportunities – Food for thought?
Who are the worst offending water companies that overcharge?
Well much depends on the specific areas of overcharging as water and waste water bills are made up of many components for example: –
Standing charges: – A separate charge for water and a separate charge for waste water based on the size of the water meter, now here’s the thing, the difference in metered standing charges dependant on which area of the country you are in is significant.
If your property is in Scotland and you have a 50mm (2″) water supply and a 50mm (2″) water meter the water and waste water standing charges combined are £ 5,476 (default rate) However, if you go south to say London and the standing charges for the same size water supply and meter would be £ 1,005.
If you have a larger water supply say 100mm (4″) and a 100mm (4″) water meter in Scotland the charge would be £ 34,035 (default rate), again go south to London and the standing charges for the same sized water supply and meter are £3,122.
How do you as a business or indeed if you employ a company to provide water bill validation know whether the charges on the water bills accurately reflect the meter size? simple water bill validation at low level would not accurately determine the correct standing charges, the result = potential overcharging! and who pays = Your business.
Another component of a water bill is the charge for the collection and disposal of rainwater that lands on your site, this goes down the drain and is collected, treated and disposed by your water and waste water company and charging for this service varies widely so I will give a fairly simple charge structure.
Take for example Northumbrian Water which service the North East, they charge for surface water and property drainage based on site area, say your site is 15,000m2 your charges would be on a charge band 6 £ 8,406 per annum. Low level water bill validation would not validate this charge. If your business was overcharged by just one band you could be due a refund in excess of £ 14,000. Potential overcharging, and who pays = Your business.
These are just a few example areas of water company overcharging, the worst offending water companies for overcharging in order of priority are: –
* Any licensed water provider in Scotland.
* United Utilities
* Severn Trent Water
* South Staffordshire Water
* Northumbrian Water
* Thames Water
These water company areas are at the top of the list, water charges will be increased April 1st so why not use this opportunity to appoint a Water Audit Expert to work with your water bill validation and bureau provider or energy consultant / broker or indeed search the web for “The Water Audit Experts”