|
Help with Water Arrears
If you have arrears with your water bill fortunately water companies can no longer disconnect the water supply for falling behind with the payments. The water companies can still take you to court to recover the outstanding amount owed and file a county court judgment if you do not make an arrangement to pay off any arrears owed to them.
Arrears with your water should not be seen as a priority debt such as your mortgage. Unlike other non priority bills such as your telephone your water supply will continue regardless of the water arrears status. It is wise to budget a realistic amount to cover your regular use of the water. To help stop any water arrears it might be useful tocontact your water supply company to enable you to pay your water bills on a weekly or monthly basis instead of the usual twice annual bill you are probably receiving.
What If I Already Have Water Arrears
It is advisable to keep in touch with your water company to make an agreement with the water company for the arrears and with the payments for this year's water. Remember to make an affordable and realistic amount towards the water arrears and be sure you can keep up with the repayments offered without getting into debt with other bills.
Always keep copies of all correspondence sent and received from or to your water company. If you reach an agreement to repay the arrears make sure you have the agreement in writing to stop any disputes in the future..
If you find it is not possible to negotiate with the water company, you should get help from a Debt Adviser on 0845 055 8152 who can guide you through the process and provide template letters to send to your water company.
Who is Liable to Pay the Bill
The occupier of the property is normally responsible for paying water charges. If someone shares accommodation, the liability is shared even if the bill is only in one name. An occupier who remains in a property after the person with whom they shared has left (for example, if partners have separated) may be held responsible for current charges and any arrears.
The company may also seek to recover money owed by the person who has left the accommodation.
What If I Am Taken to Court?
First of all do not panic if your water supplier decides to take you to court for the water arrears. The court will be more willing to negotiate a more affordable repayment arrangement, if this does not happen immediately, you can ask for it to be changed later.
What if I get Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance?
You can sometimes have the money for water rates, plus a set amount for the arrears, stopped from your benefit and paid direct to the company. Ask at your Jobcentre Plus office about this, or contact a Debt Adviser for more details. However, be aware that the amount taken to pay the arrears may be more than you can afford. You may be able to negotiate smaller payments by other methods.
Contact a Debt Adviser at Debt Plan Direct who can negotiate with your water company directly on your behalf on 0845 055 8152
Getting Help with Water Bills
Some people may be able to get help with the costs of their water supply, for example, people with water meters who use a high volume of water because of certain medical conditions, or because they have 3 or more children under 16, and are receiving a qualifying benefit. They may benefit from a bill calculated as an average charge for domestic customers of that company rather than on their actual measured use of water.
All companies have provisions in place to help people who have difficulty paying their bills, for example, budget schemes.
|
