United Utilities

Advantages: Constant, clean water supply
Disadvantages: Terrible customer service & lack of action to rectify problems

United Utilities were formed when Norweb & North West Water merged just over 10 years ago. They are responsible for the supply of water & electricity in the North West to approximately 7 million people. Every day 2000 million litres of water flow through their pipes - now that's a lot of water!! In addition to the supply of water, they are also involved with waste water treatment, servicing a number of sewer networks throughout the North West. I ...
...I slip into "I hate United Utilities mode" !! Are you sitting comfortably? Then let me begin…….. As I said, my story started about 6 years ago when we moved into our current house. It was a newly built property, all of which were supposed to be fitted with a water meter prior to residents moving in. Unfortunately, our meter wasn't fitted when we arrived, but we were assured that this had been logged and would be sorted out as soon as possible. ... Read review

Advantages: x
Disadvantages: Incompetent and careless or manipulative liars?

When I moved into my flat, I received a large bill addressed to the previous tenant which UU told me to disregard. They then sent the bill AGAIN next month addressed to "The Occupier" and then AGAIN the following month with my name on it! When I told them that I wasn't living there during this period, they disagreed and told me they had my moving in date on record as April 4th (I moved in on April 11th). I have no idea where they got this date from ...
...large amount of money. When I moved out, I payed the amount for the period which I lived there and refused to pay the amount for the other period and my estate agent sent them my tenancy agreement with the date I moved in (April 11th). They got back to me months later and said that I still had an outstanding bill and that it was for the period that I had already paid for! I'm still waiting for them to respond to this but it just feels like I'm ... Read review

Advantages: Process the water provided by nature
Disadvantages: They have a monopoly on water provision

United Utilities charge what they like and there isnt a thing you can do about it. They issue bills based on the 'rateable' value which was set back in the late 90's. So if you are in a building that was since converted to flats, each of those flats are subject to the SAME rateable value as if it was one building. I am a single person in a flat in a building that was converted along with another 2 adjoining buildings. The occupants of the other buildings ...
...it their bills are less? United Utilities say there is NOTHING that can be done since the department that looked after assessing bills by rateable value no longer exists. They will NOT provide a refund and the only way to reduce future water bills is to get a water meter fitted. But I'm moving out at the end of this month anyway. If there was competition for water provision you can bet your a$$ that department would be re-opened! ... Read review

Advantages: water
Disadvantages: big bills when they realise how they've messed up

We've had a similar experience to the above member. When we moved in to our house we were told we were on rateable value billing..even though we have a water meter in the front garden..they would not believe us and sent a person out to check. Sure enough we are on a metered system and looking at what we pay compared to the RV system we save about £200 per year. Trying to get a bill is another matter! They come and read the meter every few months ...
...we'd managed to get it sorted out last year after 2 years and Offwats involvement but NO we're still not getting any bills....trying to contact them is pointless as you just get through to someone in India who couldn't care less and even the UK number is worthless as they seldom answer it. I'm just waiting for the big bill. USELESS COMPANY LIKE ALL OTHER UTILITIES!!!! ... Read review

Advantages: We supply life's essentials
Disadvantages: Bad air conditioning

I work for united utilities call centre and i have to put up with people like you complaining every day. I'm not foreign OR useless, but can assure that i dont get paid enough to listen to your shit. First of all, Rateable Value - not something United Utilites calculated, it is something that was calculated by Inland Revenue which (unfrotunately) was frozen in 1990, there is no way to change it. It's based on the size of your property, the size of ...
...you can collect from the gutters, oh wait, United Utilities pay for that too. Oh well, Tesco's currently are selling water 2 bottles for a pound, if you think you can wash and shit in that then feel free. Go ahead, give us a call: 0845 746 2255 ... Read review