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Water bill

Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 6:25pm
12 replies478 views5 members subscribed
Ally861

Posts: 48

3 helpful points

Location: La Marina

Joined: 2 Jul 2017

Hi can I ask what people are paying for there water? We jut bought a house in December and we got our first water bill for €64 in Jan.Then another this week for another €64 and we haven’t even been near the house. Does this sound dear or is this going water charge rate? I should mention we are with Hidraqua. Thanks 

Yorkshire Lass

Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 7:53pm

Yorkshire Lass

Helpful member

Posts: 343

353 helpful points

Location: La Marina

Joined: 11 Jan 2017

Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 7:53pm

Hi the bills are quarterly and that sounds about right for when you’re not there. The bill covers water and other services such as rubbish. The services are all itemised on the bill. I find when I’m actually out at our place in La Marina, that the bill isn’t that much more as water isn’t that expensive.

Ally861

Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 9:17pm

Ally861

Original Poster

Posts: 48

3 helpful points

Location: La Marina

Joined: 2 Jul 2017

Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 9:17pm

That’s great, thanks for the reply. 

Jack1

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 4:26pm

Posts: 19

1 helpful points

Location: Orba

Joined: 17 Aug 2017

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 4:26pm

Ally861 wrote on Fri Apr 20, 2018 6:25pm:

Hi can I ask what people are paying for there water? We jut bought a house in December and we got our first water bill for €64 in Jan.Then another this week for another €64 and we haven’t even been near the house. Does this sound dear or is this going water charge rate? I should mention we ...

...are with Hidraqua. Thanks 

When using a property as a holiday home how do you collect/know about your post if you’re only there say 4/5 times a year??  I’m worried about missing important letters and therefore potentially getting fined or worse!!  Are all spanish utilities able to be got online and in English??  

Jan

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 5:37pm

Jan

Admin

Helpful member

Posts: 1135

495 helpful points

Location: Rojales

Joined: 17 Jan 2015

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 5:37pm

If you have all bills set up as direct debits when you first move into your holiday home, you won't ever miss any. The solicitor you used to buy your property should be able to help you with this.

You will have non resident tax to pay each year and the solicitor can also deal with this for you. It takes any worry from you. We retained our solicitior for a relatively small year fee, as our Fiscal representative,  to sort out any  taxes for us. They also set up our Suma which is like council tax in the UK but much much cheaper.

Your Spanish bank will send all statements to the UK if you ask them to. Take your passports  and debits cards into the bank and they will set this up for you. The bank will also set up online banking so you can transfer funds easily from UK to Spain.

All utilities have online access so you can see all your bills but by paying by direct debit it takes the risk of any bill going unpaid - In Spain the utility companies can be very quick to cut off properties from water or electric if a bill is unpaid, unlike the UK where they wait a while. So not worth taking a chance.

If you are on a community you will also have a community fee and this can also be paid on direct debit...simples! 

We have a holiday home and everything is paid automatically so we can enjoy our holidays with no problems.

Hope this helps.

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Jack1

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 5:42pm

Posts: 19

1 helpful points

Location: Orba

Joined: 17 Aug 2017

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 5:42pm

Jan thank you so much so very helpful, don’t know what I’d do without the information from this forum!  

Shell

Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2018 7:08am

Posts: 14

11 helpful points

Location: Alicante City

Joined: 4 Jun 2017

Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2018 7:08am

I just don´t agree that what you paid for water is a correct  bill when you say you were not near the house !! 

That only sounds alright if you lived in it those months.

For those readers & answerers mentioning that a solicitor should do this and that, let me clarify A solicitor is a Lawyer in Spain and they don´t deal with utility matters such as water, light, gas bills and having it / them ordered direct debit.  For that you need what we have as Gestor a proper office that would say Gestoría.

Jan

Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2018 7:52am

Jan

Admin

Helpful member

Posts: 1135

495 helpful points

Location: Rojales

Joined: 17 Jan 2015

Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2018 7:52am

We used Abaco for our property buying (Conveyance services)and kept them on as Fiscal Representatives.  They helped us with everything . I asked if there was any payments that we had to know about and they told us what we should budget for.

As Spain is obviously different to UK it is sensible to ask what to expect and not miss out any outgoings that need to be paid.

 Our solicitor was very helpful and even phoned the uiltilty companies for is to check that we were set up for D/D . They also phoned up the Suma company to arrange for us to go and get that set up and gave us details where to go.

It is not true that a solicitor will not help with these things and it worth asking them for advice of what to do. They are being paid to deal with your property sale and all that goes with it.

The problem I have noticed is that some people buy a house using a solicitor (who also uses a Gestor for the paperwork  signing BTW) and then walk away thinking all is done but they don't always think of using the Solicitor for advice to help them set everything up. Even if the Solicitor does not physically set up direct debits etc a good solicitor will at least tell you what to do and where to go and make phone calls for you to check things while you are in the office with them, if you ask.

Keeping them on with a yearly retaining fee to pay the taxes is also helpful in more ways than one, as they are always on hand to answer any questions whenever needed. We have kept our solicitor for 13 years as Fiscal Rep and we know we can email them at any time.

Jack1

Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2018 8:32am

Posts: 19

1 helpful points

Location: Orba

Joined: 17 Aug 2017

Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2018 8:32am

Jan could you send me contact details of this solicitor please?

Jan

Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2018 8:45am

Jan

Admin

Helpful member

Posts: 1135

495 helpful points

Location: Rojales

Joined: 17 Jan 2015

Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2018 8:45am

http://www.abacoadvisers.com/

They have offices in Torreveija, Alicante and Marbella.

Even if you don't use them the website is very helpful and informative.

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