Millions of households face an inflation-busting rise in water bills this week, with some increasing by up to 8.5 percent, or so we are told. Well, I haven't paid my water bill for two years, and don't intend to start now. A local monopoly, top-loading its charges with unnecessary regulatory costs – on the back of EU legislation – riven with inefficiency and unable even to guarantee the water supply, is not one which naturally invites sympathy.

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I'm intrigued, what does Mrs EUReferendum think about that? I only ask as I can't get away with things like that with my significant other. I've long not wanted to pay the license fee, but I'm not 'allowed'

Two points.

I'd like to know more about what happens when you don't pay your water bill and also why. We do all use water and it must be paid for.

Secondly, as for the TV licence fee, we don't all watch the BBC, we can actually live our life without watching it, but still watch other channels. I object to paying for a service that I don't need or want. One that provides me with biased news and propaganda that I do not wish to financially support.

The BBC has pretty much gone over to digital now and could encrypt their channels, there by allowing only those that had paid the fee to have access to their programmes. But they didn't want that because they know that probably half of their conscripted customers would drop out of the viewing fee.

If they went back to unbiased news (FFS, Russia Today & Al-Jazeera provide more unbiased news than the BBC), decent drama productions, history, geographical and science programmes, then I would be more inclined to pay for it. As it is, I have no wish to pay strictly come dancing/X-Factor type rubbish.

Boiling Frog, tell Mrs.BF that you have made an executive decision and the licence fee is out the window. Mrs.Hog doesn't like it, but I haven't paid the fee in the last 3 years, which means I've saved £450 that I've haven't had to hand over to the Marxists.

I've had one visit, and I just told Mr.Crapita (BBC don't do their own dirty work) that I didn't want to answer his questions and self incriminate myself.

Remember that the TV tax is for recieving live broadcasts . Not for having a television.
A television is not proof you are recieving live broadcasts .

Last week I received a TV Licence letter telling me a "visit is authorised".

Many years ago when I had a sudden visit, I just refused the chappie entrance and he went orff in a huff. Never heard any more.
A previous chappie said he would be back with a police officer. As I was a night shift worker at the time and was using a tv for watching occasional videos only I had a quick flurry of hiding the Tv but he never came back either.

I remember a friend who worked in Post Office in Portsmouth saying that the TV licence inspectors were just PO counter staff doing a couple of hours overtime Monday to Thursday between the hours of 6-8pm. Not sure if that holds true at all today. Are they ALL Capita?

They are all Crapita on a commission. The harder you make it look like they will get a commision (admitting watching without a licence , paying for a licence , being taken to court and fined ) the less they will bother.
They have no legal authority to interview you, demand your name ,enter your house and poke around.

Look at their letters . They "authorise a visit " ,ie they authorise themselves a visit . Something you and I could do . In fact I`ll do it now . I authorise myself to visit you . You are under official notice that I may come round your house .Anything you say may be used etc .. If you are found to be building nuclear devices without a licence etc.,

You can authorise a visit from yourself to them , at TV Licensing . There are no records of Firearms licences being issued to that address , pop round and interview them.

Please give us details of how you've got away with not paying your water bills for this long. If we knew how to get away with it too more of us would be teling them to FO, therefore joining the Great Rebellion.

Regarding the unlawful TV exthortion, why do people answer their doors to people they don't know? I never answer the door unless I'm expecting someone or expecting a parcel/delivery. It's your property - just ignore the tw*ts.

Yes --- and presumably the cost of employing the feckless dunning agents enhances all kinds of charges to everyone's bills, 'late' or not. Takes an MBA to get that smart.

Foxtrot Oscar always rings bells for me - I flew on that 707 a time or two, and the last I saw of it was at an FBO in FLL - G-number and all! Went on board and had a look, just for old time's sake. Don't know what they did a year or two later; deconstructed her I expect!

From http://www.unitedutilities.com/bill.aspx
Your bill for 2011-2012
The average household bill this year is £376, an increase of £14 from last year, with the bulk of the increase due to the rise in inflation. Even with this increase, you are paying just over £1 a day for your water and sewerage services.

Our charges cover the cost of supplying drinking water to your home and taking away and cleaning your used water. Part of your bill is also funding a five-year, £3.6 billion investment programme across the North West, and our section 'Where your money goes' explains how this money is being spent.

This year alone your bill is helping to fund £750 million of improvements to reduce leaks and sewer flooding, safeguard future water supplies and protect the North West's rivers and coastal waters. You can read more about all our current improvement projects in our 'Investment in your area' section


So the bulk of the increase is inflation according to this lot but how do they define bulk?

Greetings Robin...many thanks for that.. kettle is on for your visit.



Back to Water...I remember watching on television about 15 years ago a female journalist, no idea her name, doing some serious un-hysterical documentaries about this country's utilities services. I remember her programme on the Water services was quite damning, she said for us, with some of the cleanest most potable water in the world, to comply with all the unnecessary EU regulations, was going to make our water more expensive than champagne.
Sounds like she was spot on.

I don't know why you object to paying for water, it's not like it grows on trees or just falls out of the sky... oh wait.....

Richard, you can't just dangle "I don't pay the water bill" in front of us like that and then not tell us how it's done. Just withholding isn't enough, if they've not come after you for two years then you've done something.

I wonder if this gentleman, Dr Gene Sharp, might have some useful advice on how to overthrow our current dictatorship.... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12522848

I have always followed EU Ref and agreed with much is what written. But in fairness, water is not free (unless you want all the impurities that make you ill with it), and clean water is a genuine service. It is a monopoly, but how else can you do it? I should declare an interest, I work for a water company and have relentlessly emailed them making complaints about their carbon targets. However, what we invest, how we invest and the treatment quality is all forced upon us from the various regulatory bodies. If the Water companies are wrong for that then so is every other business who operates within the law. Since I last checked the company I work for had in excess of £190M is unpaid bills and unlike every other business we are not permitted to turn off the tap. This has put our cash flow in serious trouble and has probably had to be factored into the bills. I have no love for the Water companies, but that doesn't give the right to steal water, if you don't like it switch of the tap and buy bottled.

Oh, they come after me ... and I tell them to Foxtrot Oscar. They've taken me to court ... so I have two outstanding CCJs ... and I care not. Now they have referred it to a debt collector ... and I care not. Under the Water Act, they are not allowed to disconnect you.