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Does your business have sites in the North West? then now is the time to review your surface water charges – you could be due a substantial refund!
If your business has sites in the North West of the UK in the Water Plus (United Utilities) area then you will be paying for discharging rain water that lands on your property.
The charges levied are called surface water and highways drainage charges.
Surface water drainage charges are charged to businesses and organisations in the North West based on the site area of your property called a “Site area charging band”
The charging bands start at Band 1 with a chargeable site area of up to 124m2, the total annual charge including highways drainage charges is £142.91 per year.
Midway say Band 8 chargeable area 12,000 – 17,999m2 total annual charges £23,939.99 per year, right up to large sites on a Band 15 with a site area of 150,000 or more total annual charges £259,358.53 per year.
In a proportion of cases the surface water drainage charges can be more than the metered water and waste water charges.
H20 Building Services a leading UK water consultancy based in West Yorkshire has been in the business of reducing clients water and waste water charges for over 20 years, one of the areas of expertise is reducing the surface water drainage charges.
H20 Building Services water audit department are reporting approval from their clients water retail company Water Plus for a refund as their client was billed for surface water drainage charges based on a site area band charge of Band 7, site area 7,000 – 11,999m2 annual charges £10,712.92.
This has now been reduced to a Band 6 site area charge 3,000 – 6,999 annual charges of £5,638.72, resulting in an annual saving on surface water drainage charges of £5,074.42 per year and a 6 year refund estimated at £27,000.
Senior Partner of H20 Graham Mann says “There are mainly 3 water company areas that customers should be aware of for overcharging on surface water drainage charges, they are: –
The North West – Water Plus / United Utilities.
The North East – Wave / Northumbrian Water.
The Midlands – Water Plus / Severn Trent.
In the run up to water bill increase’s due 1st April now is an ideal time to review your water bills with potential for much reduced water bills going forwards and substantial refunds”
Check out Water Plus surface water charges below – For more detail on surface water drainage charges and claiming money back call 0845 658 0948 or email info@h2obuildingservices.co.uk
