Couple’s anger over £42,000 bill for water (From The Bolton News)

Couple’s anger over £42,000 bill for water

1:00pm Thursday 30th April 2009 in

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A COUPLE were left in shock after they received a water bill for £42,000.

Jeff and Julie Pollitt, who have lived in Fellbridge Close, Westhoughton, for two-and-a-half years, could not believe their eyes when they opened the letter from United Utilities.

The bill is the latest development in an ongoing battle with the water company which began six months after they moved into the terraced house.

Mrs Pollitt, aged 43, said: “This is making me ill and I just cannot believe it.

“How can we have used £42,000 of water in this time? We only use it for drinking, washing and showering.

“I suffer with epilepsy and I came out of hospital last week and came home to this bill. I am really angry because this has been going on a long time now.

“When I rang up they asked if we were having parties — that made me really mad!”

The problems began two years ago when Mrs Pollitt requested a water bill, which was £472.

She complained that it was too high and received further bills from United Utilities which were more expensive each time and she refused to pay.

The water meter was removed and a new one was installed, and the couple's garden was dug up to see if there was a leak, but no explanation could be found for why the bills were so high.

After being contacted by The Bolton News, the company has now agreed to cancel the latest bill and remove the water meter which was giving inaccurate readings that had not been investigated.

Helen Wilson, of United Utilities, said: “Mrs Pollitt has certainly not received the standard of service we would have expected and we can only apologise for any upset and inconvenience this has caused.

“We will now abandon the meter and we will use rateable value as the basis for this customer's water charges.

“An adjusted bill has been produced, with an instalment plan spread over the next three years and we will give Mrs Pollitt a goodwill gesture of £100 as our way of saying sorry.”