Paying for water

MUCH has been written recently about the problems facing local post offices, as they are threatened with closure or having more services taken away and given to the private sector. I thought your readers might be interested in my recent experiences. Last

MUCH has been written recently about the problems facing local post offices, as they are threatened with closure or having more services taken away and given to the private sector. I thought your readers might be interested in my recent experiences.

Last week, I received my bill from Anglian Water, which notes on the bill that a charge will be made (presumably by Anglian Water) if payment is made at the post office.

So I searched for ways to pay locally over the counter without paying extra for the privilege.

Mentioned on the form was Payzone, which said that I could pay at the following shops: St Ives News in Market Hill, Waitrose Station Road, Huntingdon (they meant St Ives, as the postcode confirmed) and VG Stores, Lorna Court, Cambridge (again they meant St Ives). All very muddled and inaccurate

I rang Waitrose St Ives, who said they sold only mobile phone top-ups under the Payzone sign. I checked on the Payzone website ("it payz to pay at payzone") where Waitrose was missing but Fazel's of St Ives was listed.

Further confusion is added by having a second business, presumably in competition with Paypoint, which according to Anglian Water no longer accepts water bill payments.

Why do we need competition in where to pay our bills? There must be profits being made and I would rather that was by the Post Office, which I thought we all owned.

Trying to find details of Post Office payment on most bills is difficult enough anyway.

So my question is why, at a time when Post Offices are under threat, is it still being made increasingly difficult to pay our everyday bills, at no extra charge over the counter, especially when Post Offices have barcode readers to make the process fast and accurate?

TONY DUTTON

Weir Road

Hemingford Grey