Allowances and adjustment to charges

Charges raised from the date of registration of the service component.

Deregistration from the date notification is received from the retailer.

If the deregistration is due to demolition, and this is confirmed by the VOA records, or a UU related site visit an allowance will be applied up to a maximum of 6 years.

Overcharge - Adjustment applied up to a maximum of six years from the date notification is received from the retailer.

Undercharge - Adjustment applied back up to a maximum of 6 months from the date notification is received from the retailer or the date that the revised rateable value applies, if within the last 6 months.

Charges raised from the date the meter was identified and a reading taken or 6 months whichever is later.

The first available meter reading within the 6 months period will be used and, where applicable a back average calculated to cover the full 6 months period.

Overcharge – Allowance applied up to a maximum of six years from date of notification from the retailer.

Undercharge – The increase in volumetric charges will be applied from the date the market record is updated with the correct meter details.

Overcharge - Adjustments made 6 months before the reading that brought the matter to our attention and led to the test (unless it can be shown that it became faulty at a later date).

Undercharge - adjustments will be made either as overcharge above or from the date of RF (the Final Market Settlement Reconcilliation report) if once has taken place. Whichever is the shorter of the two periods will be applied.

Overcharge - Adjustments made from the last-but-one meter reading before the date of the retailer request (unless it can be shown that the issue occurred at a later date).

Undercharge - adjustments will be made either as overcharge above or from the date of RF (the Final Market Settlement Reconcilliation report) if once has taken place. Whichever is the shorter of the two periods will be applied.

Overcharge – Adjustment applied back up to 6 years from the date of receipt of the relevant query from the retailer.

Undercharge - Adjustment applied back up to a mximum of 6 months from date the market record is updated.

We align to RWG Good Practice Guide for this allowance.

Allowance applied from the start of the charging year (1 April) in which the application is received or the date the allowance became applicable if after 1 April.

Charges adjusted from the date of receipt of a successful application from the retailer.

When applying for large user tariff - The charge period for the large user tariff may be backdated to the date that the retailer received the request from their customer up to a maximum of 12 months.

Retailers must provide evidence.

If a premises is found not to be connected to our sewer network charges will be adjusted to a maximum of 6 years from the date that a successful claim is received from the retailer or from when the premises was disconnected or date of occupation if within the last 6 years.

When a customer is connected directly to a United Utilities wastewater treatment works but does not go via a United Utilities / public sewer there is a reduced charge. We will apply UU_MS_03 sewerage tariff in line with section 3.2 of our current charges scheme. A refund will be applied retrospectively up to 6 years from the date that a successful claim is received from the retailer or from when the premises was disconnected or date of occupation if within the last 6 years.

Allowances applied as follows:

Water and Sewerage for leaks on supply pipe, for metered customers only.

Customers may apply for one internal and one external leak per customer per property every 24 months.

Additional allowances against volumetric sewerage charges will be considered providing it can be demonstrated to our satisfaction that the water lost through the leak did not enter our sewer network e.g. drained away to surrounding ground.

A volumetric allowance will be applied to the relevant service component(s) from the date of repair for the full period of the leak up to a maximum of 6 years. Provided that the following criteria are met:

• the leak is repaired within 30 days of discovery of the leak; and
• the leak was not due to faulty machinery or equipment; and
• the leak was not caused by faulty fixtures or fittings, such as faulty cistern overflows; and
• there has been no negligence in allowing the leak to occur; and
• the application is received from the retailer within 12 months of the repair date or in accordance with the conditions (section 9.2) of the Industry Good Practice Guide.

Premises incorporating a domestic dwelling - where the leak is on a part of the supply that serves the domestic part of the property an allowance will be applied to water and sewerage charges in line with our Leakage code of Practice.

The customer shall not be penalized for delay in burst claims submitted by the retailer, as long as the customer has acted responsibly and within the parameters of the burst claim policy. Retailers should be forthcoming in highlighting their delay in sending a claim to United Utilities.

Overcharge – correct charging band applied back to a maximum of 6 months from receipt of a successful claim from the retailer.

Undercharge – correct site area charging band applied from the date that the Chargeable Area data is corrected against the SPID or where the customer has not received a service for which the refund is being issued. The period of refund will be extended to the date that the retailer received the request from their customer up to a maximum of 12 months.

Retailers must provide evidence.

Cemeteries and Local Authority parks, places of worship, scout and guide groups – Concessionary scheme will be applied from the date the property became eligible up to a maximum of 6 years from the date of receipt of a successful claim from the retailer.

Schools , Community amateur sports club (CASC), Sea Cadets, Village Hall and Community Centres – Concessionary scheme will be applied back to a maximum of 6 months from the date of receipt of a successful claim from the retailer, or date of eligibility if later.

Where the customer has not received a service for which the refund is being issued. The period of refund will be extended to the date that the retailer received the request from their customer up to a maximum of 12 months in total. Retailers must provide evidence. 

Allowance applied up to a maximum of six years from the date notification is received from the retailer, or from the date that the surface water drainage was disconnected from our network if later.

Adjustment applied up to a maximum of six years from the date notification is received from the retailer, or date of occupation if within the last 6 years.

We may, subject to approval, provide an additional allowance by exception for periods with consideration of the following factors:

The double charge was not obvious to the customer, and they could not have reasonably identified the error themselves to notify us at an earlier date

(Note - if the customer/ retailer were being billed and it was clear what services were being billed for then they have had the opportunity to identify the error)

and/or

There is evidence that United Utilities knew about the double charging at an earlier date.

(Note - for example if account notes show that the error was identified but corrective action wasn’t taken)

Please note that the existence of multiple site area bandings may not be double charging, for example where there are two business rates, or the area is considered two separate individual sites.

Charge Adjustments for customers brought into charge for the first time

Where a premises has been vacant since market opening and the customer has recently been brought into charge for the first time we recognise that you or your customer may identify inaccuracies with charges or that certain allowances may be due. For a number of allowance types we will be extending the period for which we pay an allowance up to a maximum of 22 months from the date of your application to us. This allows you to back-bill in line with RF and an additional six month period for you to identify any adjustments that may be required. Impacted allowance types:

• Incorrect site area charging band
• Surface water and highway drainage concessionary schemes
  • Community amateur sports club (CASC)
  • Sea Cadets
  • Village Hall
  • Community Centers
  • Schools
• Application of a large user tariff
• Return to sewer allowances

Undercharge - Charges will be raised back to date of occupation or up to a maximum of 6 years from the date we update the market.

Following the market code vacancy challenge process date of occupancy will be changed back to date of occupation, up to a maximum of 6 years from the date we update the market.

Where we find an illegal connection to our water mains we will require corrective actions are carried out which will be at your cost. If this is not corrected, we may make the necessary corrections and charge our full costs including any necessary legal costs, for example if we have to obtain access. We may prosecute for an illegal connection to our water mains even if corrective actions are in progress or complete, and we may charge you for any costs that we incur, including legal costs.  We may also make a charge for water and sewerage services provided to the premises, which we may need to be estimated.