THAMES Water charges every house by default for surface water drainage (rainwater going into the sewer).
This is a rip-off since the rainwater from houses on most estates for the last 30 years goes into soakaways.
You can stop paying £24.66 per year. The details are in the small print on the back of the bill under Fixed Charges.
Good luck claiming a rebate for previous years.
Ofwat says ‘we would expect it to apply the rebate (and refund any money overpaid) from the date at which it knew (or might reasonably be expected to have known) the property was not connected’.
Thames Water connected my house to the sewage system in 1990. They know some neighbours stopped paying in 2007.
They did not even visit my house when I made my application and ‘we took your word that the rainwater from your home does not drain in to our sewer’.
Thames Water reasonably knows that entire housing estates are using soakaways.
However, the onus is on every customer to inform Thames Water that are charging £24.66 for a service they cannot supply!
GEOFF BROUGHTON
Knollys Close, Abingdon
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