Similar to various other London boroughs, Havering Council previously had an arrangement with Essex and Suffolk Water for the collection of water charges while simultaneously collecting rent from council tenants.
This agreement with Essex and Suffolk Water was until April 2021.
During this period, the Council operated as an intermediary for Essex and Suffolk Water and received a commission for these services.
Recent legal cases involving two other London boroughs have raised questions about this arrangement.
The courts ruled that these councils were essentially acting as water resellers and had overcharged their tenants.
As a consequence of these court decisions, Havering Council acknowledges that it inadvertently overcharged tenants by retaining a portion of the commission paid by Essex and Suffolk Water.
Are you eligible for a refund?
If you were a tenant of Havering Council before April 2021 and were billed for water by the Council, you are entitled to a refund.
For joint tenancies, only one refund will be issued since a single water charge was applied to each affected property.
The refund amount
The refund calculation involves taking the total commission collected, subtracting an allowable administrative fee of 1.5 pence per day (£5.48 per year), and then applying interest (in accordance with the terms of the Essex and Suffolk Water agreement) up to the date when the overcharge was reimbursed to your account.
Getting your refund
Refunds will be paid as a credit adjustment to your rent account.
It will be visible in your account, however, if you have outstanding rent arrears, court costs, or housing benefits overpayments, the credit will first be used to settle those balances.
As per the tenancy agreement terms, a credit of up to one month is maintained in rent accounts to prevent arrears.
If your rent account shows a surplus, you can request the amount through the refund claim form below.
Former tenants and former secure leaseholders
If you believe you qualify for a refund but no longer have a rent account with us, you can complete a refund request form.
Once your claim is verified and approved, the refund will be deposited into the provided bank account.
However, if there are outstanding balances related to previous rent accounts, court costs, or Housing Benefit overpayments, the credit will be used to settle those obligations first and then deducted from any refund due.
Apply for a refund
To file a claim, you need to fill out the Water Commission Refund Form.
Please remember to attach two forms of ID when asked.
When refunds are paid
A dedicated team will process all refund requests.
The time taken to process these requests might be slightly longer than usual, depending on the volume.
Our aim is to handle refund claims within eight weeks of receipt, with priority given to current tenants.
Claims from former tenants might take a bit more time and we will keep this group updated separately.
For further inquiries, please email the Water Commission Refund Team at water-refunds@havering.gov.uk.
Please make sure to include as many details as possible such as your name, address and rent reference number in the email.