CRAZY: Woman, 98, sees water bill jump drastically over the span of six months
The bill indicated that "she had used the equivalent of one million cups of tea in half a year"...
KZN has had its fair share of water issues over the past couple of months, and we are certain that with the return of loadshedding, there are many unhappy people wandering the queues at the municipal offices.
And as much as that may be so, there is a fine line between water restrictions and having to pay extra every month over a water leak you knew nothing about.
Of course, there is water usage etiquette that many people follow, where they record their water meter readings to ensure that their usage is consistent and warranted.
Recording your water meter readings also helps you attain a more accurate monthly bill.
But we cannot expect a 98-year-old to be learned in such etiquette. This is what happened to Estelle Mendoza, who has dementia and is confined to her bed.
She was billed £215 (about R4,300) by the British water supplier Thames Water. Lawrence Mendoza, her son, told BBC News that she was usually billed around £33 (R670) per month.
That's quite a leap for a little old lady who is bed bound.
"Thames Water wrote in the bill that Mendoza had consumed 255 megalitres of water within the space of six months, Lawrence told the BBC. The average person in the UK uses around 142 litres of water per day, according to Water UK." (Business Insider)
Sadly, the water company did not respond to the reported leak for months, which resulted in the hefty bill.
Luckily, Mendoza holds power of attorney for his mother and therefore stopped the debit order once it came through. He was disappointed, saying that had he not been there to monitor then the water company would be charging his mum £215 (about R4,300) a month.
What we found interesting was that water bill she received was the equivalent of one million cups of tea in half a year. Shocking, right?
For more from East Coast Radio
Lawrence felt disappointed at the treatment of his mother's case from the water company, saying that it was appalling.
"Based on Mendoza's water usage between September 2020 and March 2021, her annual water bill from Thames Water could have charged her up to £3,400 (about R68,000) per year, according to letters seen by the BBC." (Business Insider)
We cannot say for certain how many elderly people have had to go through this, but luckily this woman had her son there.
Image Courtesy of Pexels