Eray Morehouse with Maureen Mummery in Old Street

PENSIONERS are “slipping through the cracks” when it comes to staying on top of their bills, an elderly woman has said, after she discovered she was paying triple the water bill of her neighbours.

Maureen Mummery, who lives alone in Great Arthur House off Old Street, is an 82-year-old widow with arthritis who pays £70 a month for her water bill.

She has resorted to stocking her flat with bottled water in an attempt to use less water, even though she pays a monthly flat rate.

“I’m just so worried because my bill seems to be getting higher and higher.

“I’m 82 and a pensioner, I just can’t afford for it to get any bigger.

“Sometimes, when all of my bills come out, and when I’ve paid my rent, I can’t even go out shopping to buy food, because they are all so high. I’m just asking for them to treat me reasonably and give me fair bills,” she told the Tribune.

Ms Mummery’s neighbour and friend, Eray Morehouse, has been helping her break down her monthly payments.

Mr Morehouse is also a disabled resident who lives alone, and offered to help Ms Mummery understand her outgoings when he noticed that she was struggling with her bills.

But he was shocked to learn how high her rate was, considering her circumstances as an elderly person living alone and therefore using relatively little water.

When Mr Morehouse and Ms Mummery called Thames Water to ask for a reduction and stressed that they felt the bill was unfair, Thames Water reportedly told them that Ms Mummery’s bill was correct.

Mr Morehouse said: “She is frantic about the Thames Water bill, thinking that it will put her on the poverty line.”

Most homes have their water bills calculated via a water meter, which measures monthly water usage and calculates each monthly payment.

Houses and flats without a water meter calculate it on a “rateable value”, which charges households a flat monthly rate.

But Ms Mummery said many elderly and vulnerable residents are “slipping through the cracks” when it comes to water companies charging them for their usage.

She added that “digital exclusion” was making it especially hard to appeal her rates and figure out exactly what she should be paying.

“I struggle with using phones and computers, I don’t have them. So it’s extremely difficult for me to figure out what I should be paying and make contact.

“I’ve been overpaying for five years and I only recently found out. It makes me think how many other people might be caught out by doing this.”

Ismail Bahriyeli, head of service at Age UK, told how the charity’s research has shown how digital exclusion can often leave older people at a disadvantage.

He said: “People who aren’t digitally connected can find it harder to compare tariffs, manage bills and get problems resolved.

“If your energy or water bill seems higher than you would expect, don’t assume it must be right.

“If you’re struggling to contact the energy or water company, Age UK Islington can help you contact the right team, query bills and access specialist energy support.”

A Thames Water spokesperson said: “We have reviewed this for Mrs Mummery and can confirm she has been billed correctly as she is on our Rateable Value tariff. It is fixed annual charge that is not based on the amount of water used.

“However, we are speaking to her as she may be eligible for a water meter that could significantly reduce her bill, our WaterHelp tariff that offers discounts of between 25 per cent and 99 per cent, or other Thames Water assistance.

“We are committed to supporting customers through a range of communication channels, including telephone support through our customer service and Extra Care teams, and we encourage any customer who is concerned about their bill to contact us so we can discuss the options and assistance available to them.”