Southern Water has admitted that it mistakenly linked an 18-year-old meter mix-up to a vulnerable customer's account, but the company claims that the customer should be grateful for its efforts to rectify the situation.
The utility firm initially charged a couple over £600 a quarter in water bills after discovering that the wrong meter had been registered to their grandmother's address. However, Southern Water later admitted that it was indeed responsible for the mistake and cancelled the bill, leaving the account with £500 in credit.
But despite this acknowledgment, the company has now changed its story, demanding that the couple pay £500 in outstanding bills, even though they have provided evidence showing their actual water usage is significantly lower. The couple claims that every time they contact Southern Water, they are met with a different explanation or asked to follow a new "process" that leads to nowhere.
The company's actions have left the couple feeling frustrated and angry, particularly given that the grandmother had been living alone for 18 years when the mistake was made. It is clear that Southern Water is trying to cover up its own mistakes rather than taking full responsibility and making amends.
While the company has issued a cheque for over £1,000 in compensation to the grandmother, including £200 in goodwill, this does not seem like sufficient restitution given the severity of the error. The couple's experiences with Southern Water highlight the need for greater scrutiny and accountability from utility companies when it comes to ensuring that vulnerable customers are protected from mistakes and exploitation.
The utility firm initially charged a couple over £600 a quarter in water bills after discovering that the wrong meter had been registered to their grandmother's address. However, Southern Water later admitted that it was indeed responsible for the mistake and cancelled the bill, leaving the account with £500 in credit.
But despite this acknowledgment, the company has now changed its story, demanding that the couple pay £500 in outstanding bills, even though they have provided evidence showing their actual water usage is significantly lower. The couple claims that every time they contact Southern Water, they are met with a different explanation or asked to follow a new "process" that leads to nowhere.
The company's actions have left the couple feeling frustrated and angry, particularly given that the grandmother had been living alone for 18 years when the mistake was made. It is clear that Southern Water is trying to cover up its own mistakes rather than taking full responsibility and making amends.
While the company has issued a cheque for over £1,000 in compensation to the grandmother, including £200 in goodwill, this does not seem like sufficient restitution given the severity of the error. The couple's experiences with Southern Water highlight the need for greater scrutiny and accountability from utility companies when it comes to ensuring that vulnerable customers are protected from mistakes and exploitation.
. Southern Water wants us to think they're doing us a solid by rectifying the situation, but really they're just trying to spin this into something positive for their own image. The fact that they're still pushing the couple to pay £500 in outstanding bills despite having evidence of lower usage is just ridiculous! It's like they're more interested in protecting their bottom line than in treating vulnerable customers with fairness and respect.
. They need to take full responsibility for their errors and make amends, not try to shift the blame onto their customers. The £1,000 cheque they sent to the grandmother is a good start, but it's just a drop in the bucket compared to what the couple has been through. We need to hold utility companies like Southern Water accountable for their actions and ensure that we're protected from these kinds of mistakes in the future. 
I don't think 1k in compo is enough, the grandma shouldn't have to live with this stress & £500 to pay is still unfair 
. They gotta be more transparent & own up to their mistake, can't just flip it back on the customers 
. And btw what's with all these "processes" they're making them jump through? It's clear they don't want to take responsibility for their error 
. Vulnerable people like grandmas shouldn't be taken advantage of, we need better regulation & oversight 
But in this case, it seems like Southern Water is trying to cover up its own mistakes rather than taking responsibility for them. The company's actions towards the couple are unacceptable, especially considering their grandmother was left with a large bill due to the mistake. It's not enough just to issue a cheque for over £1,000 as compensation. They need to take real action to make things right and ensure that vulnerable customers like the couple are protected from exploitation. 
I can imagine how frustrating and upsetting this situation must be for them... poor gran would've been living alone for 18 years already, no one should be put through that... 
Southern Water's actions don't seem right, they're trying to shift the blame & make them pay £500 in outstanding bills even though there's proof their water usage is lower. It's like they're not taking responsibility at all 
I think utility companies need to do way more to protect vulnerable customers & make sure these kinds of mistakes don't happen again 
. That's all cool, right? But then they suddenly decide that the couple who was affected is now responsible for the original mistake... what?! 
. And get this - every time the couple tries to contact them, they get a different story or are told to follow some new process that doesn't make any sense 
. It's like Southern Water is playing a game of "catch me if you can" instead of taking responsibility for their mistakes 
. The company's actions are not only unfair, but also potentially exploitative 
. We need to be holding these utility companies accountable for protecting vulnerable customers like this couple 
. It's time to shine a light on their mistakes and make them fix it once and for all 
!