Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has urged households to check how they pay their water bills as they could be paying way too much. Water bills are calculated by different companies depending on where you live so it is not so easy to simply change providers but there is one thing people can do to possibly bring down their bills.
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If you are living in a flat or in a house that has more bedrooms in it than people it is possible to call your water provider and ask for the way your bill is calculated to be reviewed and this advice could save you thousands, as per Birmingham Live.
‘Assessed charge’
If you're paying more in water rates than you are actually using it is often beneficial to have a water meter installed to only pay what you are using for. However, in many cases - such as in flats - it is not feasible to do so. In these instances, it is possible to ask your water provider to give you an ‘assessed charge.’
Martin Lewis explains, as per Yorkshire Live:
Many people who live in flats can't get a water meter, it's called 'not practicable' to have a water meter fitted, in which case you can ask for an 'assessed charge'.
That's where they work out how much you would pay if you were on a water meter, even though you can't have one, and you're charged that rather than the water rates.
£1,132.81 rebate
One Money Saving Expert viewer wrote to Martin Lewis to say that his advice had resulted in her water company contacting her to say she was due a water rebate of £1,132.81. She went on to say that ‘as a 76-year-old relying on her state pension, this is like winning the lottery,’
The reason for the discrepancy is that many water bills are generally calculated by the number of bedrooms and size of your property but water meters measure the actual amount of water you use and so there is the potential for big savings, as per Yorkshire Live.
This can be hundreds of pounds. Now if you have a voluntary change, you usually have two years that you can switch back to water rates if a water meter isn't working for you.
Lewis went on to describe how further help is also available to those with medical issues too:
If you're disabled or you've got related medical issues that mean you need to use a lot of water or you're on benefits, speak to your energy firm. There's often, but not always, help available to you.
Sources used:
- Birmingham Live 'Martin Lewis warning to everyone who pays water bills as woman gets £1000 refund'
- Yorkshire Live 'Martin Lewis issues bill warning to everyone who lives in a flat or 3-bed house'
