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Customers' bills and tariffs
I own a property which is not occupied. Why is my water company charging me for water and sewerage services to this property? In 2005 we consulted with the industry and other parties on our policy with regard to water and sewerage charges to vacant properties. Companies incur costs when they continue to make a water supply or sewerage service available on standby to a property, even if the customer does not use any water or discharge any foul sewage. Even if no water or sewage flows through a pipe, the company will, from time to time, need to carry out maintenance work. This may include infrastructure renewals work and monitoring and repairing leaks. In any case, the property benefits from the good repair of the whole distribution system, so that the supply is available as soon as the customer needs it again. For the water service, the cost of providing a standby service includes the cost of keeping a water supply available. If the company charges for this service, it will need to cover its billing costs too. Vacant properties continue to receive a number of sewerage services. The cost of these services will normally include the cost of providing surface water drainage (where the surface water drains to sewer). It will also include the cost of maintaining the sewerage system, and the cost of highway drainage. We think that owners of vacant properties should be no less liable than other customers are for highway drainage charges. If companies charge vacant properties for sewerage services, they will need to cover their billing costs as well. If you would like to read more about the issues surrounding water and sewerage charges to vacant properties please see "RD 13/05: Charges to vacant household properties". After consulting on this issue we decided that our preferred option is that metered and unmetered customers of furnished vacant properties should pay the standard metered and unmetered charges. If the customer consented to be disconnected all charges should be waived other than those for surface water drainage. It seems reasonable to regard unfurnished vacant properties as being unoccupied, so we also recommended that companies do not charge unfurnished vacant properties. If you would like to read more about our reasoning on this issue please see "RD 02/06 Charges to vacant properties: conclusions"  |
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