Southern Water's Meter Mix-Up: A 18-Year Error With No End in Sight
For 18 years, 85-year-old grandmother has been receiving water bills for the wrong meter, racking up a massive overpayment of nearly £1,000. The mistake was first discovered by her grandson after he received a shocking quarterly bill of £614 from Southern Water.
The company initially admitted to the error and installed a new digital meter at the property, but in a stunning U-turn, it has now claimed that the grandmother is still responsible for paying the £500 bill sent days after she was told the account was £500 in credit. The company's excuses have changed with every phone call, leaving her grandson feeling frustrated and angry.
The mix-up began when Southern Water registered the wrong meter to the grandmother's account, charging her for a neighboring house that had a significantly different water usage pattern. As the years went by, the bills increased, but it wasn't until four people moved into the neighboring household that the error became apparent. The company's slow response to the issue has only added to the hardship.
Southern Water claims to have apologized and made amends, issuing a cheque for £893 in overpayments and £200 in goodwill to the grandmother. They also refunded £594 of overpayments made by her grandson since he took over the account last summer. However, with each new excuse, it seems like the company is trying to cover up its massive 18-year mistake.
The grandmother's case raises questions about Southern Water's customer service and its ability to manage large-scale billing errors. With a record of slow responses and changing excuses, it's clear that more needs to be done to ensure that customers receive accurate bills and fair treatment.
For 18 years, 85-year-old grandmother has been receiving water bills for the wrong meter, racking up a massive overpayment of nearly £1,000. The mistake was first discovered by her grandson after he received a shocking quarterly bill of £614 from Southern Water.
The company initially admitted to the error and installed a new digital meter at the property, but in a stunning U-turn, it has now claimed that the grandmother is still responsible for paying the £500 bill sent days after she was told the account was £500 in credit. The company's excuses have changed with every phone call, leaving her grandson feeling frustrated and angry.
The mix-up began when Southern Water registered the wrong meter to the grandmother's account, charging her for a neighboring house that had a significantly different water usage pattern. As the years went by, the bills increased, but it wasn't until four people moved into the neighboring household that the error became apparent. The company's slow response to the issue has only added to the hardship.
Southern Water claims to have apologized and made amends, issuing a cheque for £893 in overpayments and £200 in goodwill to the grandmother. They also refunded £594 of overpayments made by her grandson since he took over the account last summer. However, with each new excuse, it seems like the company is trying to cover up its massive 18-year mistake.
The grandmother's case raises questions about Southern Water's customer service and its ability to manage large-scale billing errors. With a record of slow responses and changing excuses, it's clear that more needs to be done to ensure that customers receive accurate bills and fair treatment.
this is just insane. Like, how can they keep messing up the same person for 18 years? And now they're trying to cover it up by saying she's still gotta pay that £500 bill? That's just not right. I'd be so mad if my grandma was in her shoes... her grandson sounds like a total hero for figuring out the mistake and speaking up. Southern Water needs to step up their game and get their act together 
I mean, come on! 18 years is a looong time to have gotten it so wrong, and now they're trying to make the poor grandma pay for it? 
It's like they're trying to squeeze every last drop of money out of her. And don't even get me started on their excuses - it's like they're speaking different languages! 
The fact that they initially admitted to the error and then changed their story with each phone call is just ridiculous.
I mean, 18 years of getting it wrong? That's just ridiculous! 
Southern Water needs to get their act together and sort out the mess they've made. It's not just about the money, it's about the principle - this grandma has been taken advantage of for nearly two decades and it's just not right. 
I feel so bad for her grandson, he must be going through a nightmare trying to deal with all these excuses and delays. 
. They've already given the granny a big cheque and some goodwill, but those excuses? Not cutting it 
. I get that mistakes happen, but consistency is key. If they keep changing their story, how can we trust them to fix these issues for real? 
. Southern Water should really look into their system, it's not like they're getting paid enough to mess up this badly 
The grandma deserves better, she shouldn't be stressed about her water bills for this long. I hope they start taking customer service seriously and not just giving lip service. 
It's like they're trying to create their own version of the Never-Ending Story... but with more overpayment 
. And now they want her to pay £500 for being told she owes £500? That's some next-level billing magic 
. I'm rooting for the granny to keep fighting and get justice on her side 
.
. £500 in credit is not something you can just take back from someone who has been overpaying by nearly £1k, that's some serious customer service fail right there 
this is insane, 18 years and £1k overpayment just because they got the meter wrong... what kind of system lets this happen?