We know that it can sometimes be hard to juggle money, so our Money Advice and Benefits Advisors are on hand to help our customers with advice on how to better manage finances to stay out of debt, and to share ideas on how to save money, such as changing your energy supplier.

One of our advisors, Kerry, recently helped a customer claim £9,000 back from her water bill after hearing about a water leak.

Kerry visisted a customer in her 3-bedroom house in Southampton to follow up one a standard benefit check interview. The interview ended with Kerry asking the customer whether she had any other debts that she was struggling with. And the customer told her about her £88 monthly water bill.

Getting involved in repairs isn’t normally part of her job description, but our advisors are always looking for ways to save customers’ money, and Kerry knew that bill was high and should only have been about half of that cost.

So, Kerry immediately questioned the water bill and asked the customer to get in contact with Southern Water, who advised her to check her water meter.

Together, Kerry and the customer made sure the water was off and checked the meter which was still spinning. This meant that there was a water leak somewhere that the customer didn’t know about.

So, Southern Water visited and found a leak in the downstairs toilet. They then contacted our repairs team who went out to fix it. 

After looking at the situation, Southern Water contacted our customer about a refund and backdated it all the way back to 2014/15. And the customer received a full refund of £9,000. This was great news and helped her pay off her debts.

The customer was so grateful to Kerry for helping her discover the issue, and making a big difference to her finances.

Kerry said: “And that’s why I love doing this job; because it makes a difference to people’s lives.”

This is a great story with a very happy customer at the end of it! Don't forget to keep an eye on your bills and if they seem a bit high, get in touch with your supplier to see if you can swap your tarrif. Or contact our Money Advice and Benefits Advisors for their advice.