I wouldn’t expect many readers of connexions to get too worked up about the amount that British churches pay in water rates. However, it has come to light that more and more water companies here are ignoring the churches’ charitable status, and charging water rates on the same basis as for commercial enterprises. This is going to work out very expensive. An online petition has been organised to draw the Prime Minister’s attention to this. Maybe now he’s just won his terrorism vote, he’ll be in a good enough mood to listen?
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Anon 06.12.08 at 8:16 am
The proposed increase in water rates caused me to find out what the 5 churches under my pastoral oversight were paying already. Four of them have never received a bill and have never paid anything! Ironically the one that does pay is the one with no water in the church building, but just an outdoor toilet. I must admit that when signing off the accounts I have been looking at what we do pay, not what we don’t!
We are, of course, in the process of confessing this (though for the purposes of this post I prefer to remain “Anon”). But assuming a large clergy readership of this blog, I wondered whether anyone else has had this experience? I can’t, for instance, believe it’s just my section of one Circuit in the whole of Methodism.
Richard 06.12.08 at 9:03 am
You know, I haven’t the faintest idea what the churches in my circuit pay in water rates.But I’m as sure as I can be that Dŵr Cymru know all about them. Are your chapels out in the sticks?
Kim 06.12.08 at 11:03 am
I reckon it’s a stealth tax on Baptist churches.
Richard 06.12.08 at 12:41 pm
Sounds like a vote winner!
tortoise 06.12.08 at 1:51 pm
Ours is metered, which causes no end of joy . But if I can just find myself a staff, I shall go and smite a nearby rock…
Anon 06.12.08 at 8:17 pm
Since I understand the increase in water rates is to do with the cost of getting rid of surface water down the drains (as opposed to supplying you with the fresh stuff) then tortoise had perhaps better keep his staff to himself.
The 5 churches which have managed to escape the net are in villages but not exactly out in the sticks. The oldest is 250 years old but the youngest a new build 40 years ago (hope there’s no Inspector Clouseau’s from the water board reading this blog) so there’s no obvious reason why they’ve never received a water bill.
Methodist Preacher 06.14.08 at 2:24 pm
Why should churches not pay the same as everyone else?
Kim 06.14.08 at 4:13 pm
Indeed, MP.
Mark Byron 06.15.08 at 4:57 am
Have you checked to see if non-church charities are getting rate hikes as well? It may be that they decided not to give anyone a break anymore.
I don’t know if there are UK laws on this, but I don’t see where utilities have to give charities a rate break. When I ran a computer store a decade ago, I supplied stuff to churches and ministries at cost, but that was my decision, not some government mandate.
Rosemary 06.17.08 at 4:28 pm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/7439784.stm
I think the BBC has got it wrong about charities getting discounted water rates (this has not been true since privatisation). The problem is that this is a charge based on runoff, not water you actually use to flush toilets etc. So effectively the church is being charged simply for being rained on.
I would guess that’s the reason for the hike being so enormous - previously the charge would have been devised on the basis of expected or actual water usage; now it’s calculated from the area of the building plus any hardstanding.
It might be worth actually having a look and seeing whether the drains really do go into the sewers. I would suspect that at least some of the older countrified churches go into soakaways and don’t affect the mains drainage at all.
Rosemary 06.17.08 at 4:50 pm
Ah! Google is our friend.
I seem to be right in my vague idea that this mess is partly due to privatisation.
http://www.ccwater.org.uk/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.715&outputFormat=html from the consumer council for water appears to be the definitive answer.
The charity angle is probably that the charge used to be based on the business rate charge (which is reduced for charities) but is now based on the size of the property.
The so-and-so’s will charge you unless you claim the rebate (so a church with NO main drainage might still be charged unless someone knows to put in the claim).
I rather think this also explains the lucky ones who were not billed for their water:
“Why do I need to apply for a rebate?
At the time of privatisation in 1989, water and sewerage companies were sold with poorly kept records of the water and sewerage infrastructures. The records did not show which properties are connected and which are not for surface water drainage purposes. It is therefore up to customers to let the companies know by making an application for the rebate.”
Matt Wardman 06.19.08 at 1:21 am
The exemption will continue to apply in Scotland:
“A strong case for retaining the exemption scheme was made by voluntary sector organisations and church groups during our recent consultation and we have listened to those views. Consequently, those small charities, churches and voluntary organisations that meet the exemption scheme criteria will continue to be exempt from paying for their water services charges until 2014.
“The principles of charging set by Scottish Ministers for any given period are essential to ensuring that Scottish Water can continue to be successful and maintain its significant contribution to the Government’s strategic objectives for Scotland. Ministers have issued draft principles today and will review and finalise these principles in September 2009 following the publication of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland’s draft charges determination for the 2010-14 regulatory period.”
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2008/05/30114338
So the precedent exists.
Andy 06.19.08 at 4:02 pm
As a Methodist minister I have refused to sign the petition. Here in Gloucester we were treated well by Severn Trent when we were flooded by an excess of runoff from the heavy rain last year.
Observer 06.20.08 at 9:45 am
The changes to the charging rules are being made by Ofwat, the water industry regulator, and not at the behest of the water companies themselves. I think you will find the water companies are sympathetic to the ‘financial challenges’ faced by many churches, and they will work with your organisation to try and help you adjust.
Marjorie Walker 07.03.08 at 10:42 pm
I think this is most unreasonable.