Water Bill assessment

[terminal7]

I have just noticed on my Thames Water bill that there is something known as AHC - used to calculate the bill. AHC - Assesses Household Charge is based on the number of bedrooms that the water company believe your property has - assuming the property is unmetered. I have noticed that my flat is classified as 3 bedrooms (default). Looking back at previous bills - this seems to have overtly applied in the bills since April 2022. As it happens my flat has 2 bedrooms and the charges are some £50 pa less at 2 bedrooms as opposed to 3 bedrooms. You can ask for single occupancy apparently irrespective of number of bedrooms. Anyone come across this? I assume that once I provide proof that I live in a 2 bed flat, Thames Water should refund me. I have no recollection of ever being asked to provide this info.

T7

[mc2fool]

I have just noticed on my Thames Water bill that there is something known as AHC - used to calculate the bill. AHC - Assesses Household Charge is based on the number of bedrooms that the water company believe your property has - assuming the property is unmetered. I have noticed that my flat is classified as 3 bedrooms (default). Looking back at previous bills - this seems to have overtly applied in the bills since April 2022. As it happens my flat has 2 bedrooms and the charges are some £50 pa less at 2 bedrooms as opposed to 3 bedrooms. You can ask for single occupancy apparently irrespective of number of bedrooms. Anyone come across this? I assume that once I provide proof that I live in a 2 bed flat, Thames Water should refund me. I have no recollection of ever being asked to provide this info.

T7

Yes, I'm with Thames Water and got myself onto the assessed household charge as soon as I discovered it and realised how much cheaper it was than the rateable value regime that I was on previously. I didn't have to provide any evidence, I simply told them I was a single occupier of a 2 bed flat.

In fact, it was recommended to me by one of their call centre agents while I was querying another matter, and they agreed that, as two of the flats in my six flat block had been deemed unmeterable (a prerequisite for the AHC), they'd accept the others would be too without requiring an inspection of each one, and to put all of the flats on the assessed household charge, and just on my word about the number of bedrooms and occupants of each flat. Made me very popular for a while with the other flat owners!

[terminal7]

Just received my 'revised' annual bill for Oct2023 onwards and I have been re-assessed as a one bedroom flat and hence my charges have been revised downwards.

However, TW have switched me from a six monthly payment to monthly without any request on my behalf. Furthermore they have not reimbursed for my previous 2 years when I was overcharged.

T7

[mc2fool]

Just received my 'revised' annual bill for Oct2023 onwards and I have been re-assessed as a one bedroom flat and hence my charges have been revised downwards.

But you said in your OP that yours is a two bedroom flat. Or perhaps you mean re-assessed as a single occupier (which is the cheapest of all of the AHC tariffs)?

However, TW have switched me from a six monthly payment to monthly without any request on my behalf. Furthermore they have not reimbursed for my previous 2 years when I was overcharged.

Well, re the switch to monthly without your request you can contact them and complain about it and get them to switch it back, if you want. Personally I find the monthly direct debit payment useful as I can use it to count towards the regular DD requirements that some current accounts have and, indeed, I asked Thames Water to change me from 6 monthly to monthly some years ago for that reason, but clearly that's my preference and may not be yours.

In regards to applying the change retrospectively ... how did you get onto the AHC in the first place? My understanding is that you have to first request a water meter and then have them come out and decide that it's not possible to fit one, and only after that can you ask to be changed from the Rateable Value tariff to the Assessed Household Charge. So, was it you that set that up, or did you inherit it? i.e. it was that way when you moved in?

I ask 'cos clearly if it was you, and you told them it was a 2 bedroom (or single occupier) flat, and you have proof of telling them that and/or they still have the recording of the call when you asked to be changed from the RV to AHC tariffs, then clearly it'll be their cock-up and you'll have a good case for a complaint and a refund.

Failing that TW will have been charging on the best/only information they had and they may be less willing to apply the change retrospectively. I couldn't find any cases of your particular situation (wrong size flat) but I did find this Water Redress Scheme (the final arbiter) decision that the water company was not obliged to backdate a change from the RV to an AHC tariff.

Citizens Advice's Complaining about your water company page says that the procedure is to first complain to your water company and, if you're not happy with the outcome of that, then you should go to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) and, if they can't settle your complaint, then the Water Redress Scheme (WATRS).

I don't remember if when we changed from RV to AHC I even asked about backdating it but it certainly didn't happen. In your situation I think I'd call TW and ask for the change to be applied retrospectively, and if they say no then give the CCW an informal call to ask if it's worth getting into a formal complaint against TW, as the CCW may be able to tell you straight off if there's any obligation on TW to backdate it, and whether any similar complaints have ever been upheld. Good luck!