My BT broadband is really slow and for the past week hasn’t worked. Can I cancel my contract?
Kelvin Stiles, Hampshire
In April 2021, the communications regulator, Ofcom, introduced a voluntary Automatic Compensation Scheme, under which broadband and landline customers receive an automatic payout from their providers when they suffer lost services, should their circumstances meet its requirements.
So, as BT is a member of this scheme you will be entitled to £9.76 per day compensation until the service is resumed if it’s been down for more than two full working days and the loss of service has not been caused by equipment failure or activity in your home.
As for the problem of your broadband being slow, this could entitle you to cancel the contract.
To ascertain what remedy, you are entitled to you should take the following five steps.
1) Make a daily diary note, over a two-week period, of the speeds you are receiving, to find this out use an online internet speed checker and take a screen shot of the result each time.
2) Find out what speed you were promised when you signed up to the contract and see how this compares to what you usually actually receive.
3) Read the provider’s terms and conditions to see what they say about internet speeds. In particular, look to see if the terms state that the broadband speed advertised when you signed up to the service is not guaranteed and is instead the maximum speed you can expect to get and if a ‘minimum’ speed is cited anywhere.
A statement of a maximum speed you can get is not a promise that you will achieve this speed and is therefore not a contractual promise you can hold the provider to. Your contract may also warn of factors that could affect the speed you receive, so you should check this carefully as well.
4) If after investigation you believe you are not getting the speed you were promised, make a complaint to your provider, making sure you send a copy of your diary notes and the screen shots of the speed checker results. This shows you have evidence to support your complaint.
5) If your provider fails to help, make a complaint to the approved alternative dispute resolution service.
My water bills have increased four-fold this year and cannot be right, so I have refused to pay. Despite a clear billing error my water provider is now threatening legal action. What can I do?
Erin Green, Northampton
The first thing you need to establish is whether you have a water leak as this is a common cause of excessive bills. You should therefore tell the water company that you believe this is a possibility, and ask it to investigate, at which point it should put a stop on your account. This will stop all enforcement action until the investigation has been completed. If there is a leak, responsibility for fixing it depends on its location.
The water company is responsible for the water mains in the ground and usually for the communication pipe. This is the part of the service pipe leading up to your property’s boundary from the mains.
Outside stop valves are usually also the property of the water company and should be maintained by them. In most cases, it is your responsibility to maintain the supply pipe, which is the section of the service pipe from the boundary of your property – typically where the water meter and stop valve are – into the property itself.
If there is a leak, and it falls within the water company’s responsibility it should adjust your bills so you are only charged for the water your property has used. If the leak falls within your responsibility ask the water company what its policy is, as many will offer a one-off free repair or subsidised repairs to their customers.
If despite taking the above steps your issue remains unresolved you can escalate your case to the Consumer Council for Water (CWW). This is an independent organisation that represents consumers’ interests. It has powers to investigate most complaints – you can find more information here: www.ccwater.org.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response from the CCW you can ask to appeal your case.