Couple billed £12,000 by water companies for non-existent leak describe four-year ‘torture’

A couple mistakenly billed £12,000 by two water companies for a leak that did not exist after moving into a new family home have described their four-year debt collection ordeal as “torture”.

Anna Pearce, 44, and her husband Andrew, 45, who work in property, said they received a £7,000 water bill from Southern Water (SW) and a £5,000 bill from Sutton and East Surrey Water (SES Water) in 2018 after moving into the home in Cowden, Kent – although they have since moved to West Sussex.

The mother of two claims SW engineers were repeatedly sent to the property to search for a leak, but nothing was found until a local contractor working in the area in 2019 told her the £12,000 bill was related to a nearby water plant – the meter for which happened to be on the couple’s driveway.

After contacting the two companies, Anna said SES Water resolved the issue promptly, writing off the £5,000 charge, but SW started sending debt collectors for the £7,644.90 bill, which the couple said was “terrifying”.

Despite SW being told they did not owe the money, Anna said they were continually “hassled for payment” by the firm over the following months and were later told they would be taken to court for the debt, prompting her to submit a formal complaint by email, seen by PA Real Life, in May 2021.

SW has apologised “for the distress caused by the confusion” and said it waived the £7,000 wastewater bill in June 2021 along with the wastewater standing charges during the time they lived at the property as “a goodwill gesture”.

Anna, a property investor, said the case was not closed until July 2022 when she decided to share a video about the “traumatising” and “heartbreaking” four-year ordeal on her social media platforms.

She re-posted the video earlier this month and it went viral, accumulating 1.5 million views on TikTok and Instagram.

Speaking about the impact of the “horrific” case, Anna told PA Real Life: “We did everything, and then they were sending us debt collectors – you felt really unimportant and unheard.

“It’s a really horrible feeling because you expect more, you expect better from these companies… I didn’t feel there was any accountability, they just don’t listen.

“It was like torture – like water torture – like a steady drip.”

Anna, her husband Andrew, and their two children – Louisa, 11, and Thomas, 10 – moved into a three-bedroom property in Cowden which backed on to allotments in February 2018.

Having lived a nomadic lifestyle for the previous six months, adventuring across the UK in their camper van on a “wild adventure”, the family were “excited” about the next chapter.

“We moved in on Valentine’s Day, which we thought was so lovely, and there were roses on the front door, so we always called it our love house,” Anna said.

“So it was really exciting after being unsettled for about six months.”

However, just months after moving into the semi-detached property, Anna said she and her husband were sent a £12,000 water bill in the post – £7,644.90 for SW and £5,000 for SES Water – although she cannot find the original bill from SES Water to confirm the exact amount.

The bill claimed there had been a leak at their property and they were liable to pay the £12,000 charge while investigations took place, but the couple refused as they knew this was “a mistake”.

“It started off being frustrating and then it just got ridiculous,” Anna said.

Over the following weeks, Anna said SW engineers were sent to the house repeatedly, but no leak was found.

In 2019, she said she was told the £12,000 bill was related to a meter on the couple’s driveway for a nearby water plant, which was around 180 metres away, thanks to help from a private contractor who was working in the area.

Anna informed SES Water and SW, but in 2020, after the first Covid -19 lockdown, she said SW started sending debt collectors to their house.

She said letters and messages were sent by text and email before debt collectors came to their door.

“When the debt collectors started coming round, it was terrifying,” Anna said.

“I think the worst part was that we knew that we didn’t owe this, we were proactively trying to fix it, and (SW) just weren’t interested.

“It was that feeling of feeling completely unheard, unseen, and just feeling like it’s David vs Goliath.”

Anna said SW continued to send engineers to the house regarding the leak, even though nothing could be found, and she described this as “harassment”.

In November 2020, she said an SW engineer visited the property and “finally listened”.

After a full day of investigating, the engineer found the couple’s water supply pipe on the road and installed a new meter.

Anna said she was then told “that would be the end of it” and they did not owe the money.

However, she claims they were still “hassled for payment” by SW, and after being told the couple would be taken to court for the debt, she submitted a formal complaint in May 2021.

“We didn’t seem to be able to stop them from harassing us and you can see from the emails, we just kept getting more and more desperate – ‘please stop harassing us’,” Anna said.

Anna said SES Water resolved the issue promptly and was “fantastic” throughout, writing off the £5,000, but SW continued to send debt collectors chasing the £7,000 bill.

“When this just couldn’t get resolved and they wouldn’t listen, I don’t even know if I can put it into words,” she said.

“My husband couldn’t deal with it, he just had to disconnect because it was too stressful for him, and I was just getting so frustrated.

“It was so unnecessary – it was like torture during lockdown.”

Anna copied SES Water into her written complaint to SW over email, and she said SES Water confirmed in its response that the original water bill needed to be written off.

However, Anna claims SW blamed the couple and SES Water for the issue and did not take accountability.

After moving out of the property in September 2021, Anna said she was taken to hospital with Covid pneumonia and a pulmonary embolism, which she believes may have been triggered by the stress of the ordeal.

She said debt collection continued even after it was confirmed they did not owe money, and she submitted a complaint to Ofwat – the economic regulator for the water and sewage sectors in England and Wales – in December 2021, and to the ombudsman.

In July 2022, Anna said debt collectors started chasing them again, but after speaking to Ofwat, SW apologised and finally closed the file.

Anna said she shared the video about the four-year ordeal in 2022 as a form of closure and, having reposted it recently, she wants to ensure it does not happen to anyone else.

“Going back, now I can fully appreciate how badly we were treated, and we just didn’t realise at the time because we weren’t being heard,” Anna said.

“They had no desire or incentive to resolve it, and even with the ombudsman involved, they still didn’t take accountability, but at least it stopped them harassing me.

“I’d encourage people to put in a complaint as soon as possible and, if it’s not dealt with properly, take it to the ombudsman as soon as possible.

“With SES Water, I had great experiences and they demonstrated what should have happened, but looking back, I wish I had spoken up sooner.”

Ashley Marshman, head of customer services at SW, said: “This should not have happened and we’re very sorry for the distress caused by the confusion.

“We waived the £7,000 wastewater bill in June 2021, as SES Water found that Mr and Mrs Pearce were being charged on an incorrect water meter.

“As a goodwill gesture, we also waived the wastewater standing charges during the time they lived at the property.

“Back in July 2022 we wrote to Mr and Mrs Pearce to offer them our sincere apologies and keep them informed of the steps we’d taken to resolve the situation.”

An SES Water spokesperson said: “We are dedicated to ensuring that our customers receive accurate billing and fair treatment, especially in cases where leaks or other unforeseen issues may impact their water usage.

“SES Water believes that every customer deserves to be heard and supported, and we will continue to work diligently to maintain the trust and confidence of those we serve.”

To find out more about Anna, search @propertyempress on Instagram and TikTok .