The latest heatwave in the UK coincides with one of the longest dry spells in the history of the UK, with several water companies forced to impose hosepipe bans due to drought conditions.
With the weather turning up a notch once more, households could see a disruption to essential services, including severe train delays as companies struggle to deal with the heat.
However, the disruptions could mean that individuals are entitled to a refund if they experience issues during the latest heatwave.
But what refunds could you be entitled to and how can you claim your money back? Here's everything you need to know.
Water outage
There is currently a high demand for water in the UK due to the hot weather putting immense pressure on water companies.
Water companies have been urged by the government to impose hosepipe bans in their area, with Southern Water introducing its first ban in 10 years last month.
According to Which?, those who have unexpected water supply issues due to a water main burst have to allow the water company 12 hours to turn it back on.
In the circumstance that a larger "strategic" water main bursts, the water supplier has 48 hours to resolve the problem.
Households that have been without water for 12 hours should be provided with an alternative supply – such as bottled water or a water tank.
The companies must supply at least 10 litres of water per person within the first day of the outage and each day while the issues continue.
In some cases, compensation is available including £20 for the first 24 hours without water.
After the initial 24 hour period, households can receive an extra £10 each day in compensation whilst their home is without water.
If you have not received the compensation within 20 working days, you will be able to claim a further £20 on top for the inconvenience.
In most cases, the compensation will be paid automatically, either as a payment directly to you or as credit on your account.
However, it is important to check that your water supplier offers compensation for a lack of water supply and you may have to contact the company directly with your claim.
Power outages
The scorching heat can sometimes cause issues with the UK's power network.
If your home is without power due to the heatwave, you may be entitled to compensation.
According to energy regulator Ofgem, compensation eligibility depends on whether the power cut was planned in advance, how long it will last and whether it is the network's fault.
The network company that maintains your supply on the grid is responsible for fixing power cuts and responding to claims.
To find your network company, please see here.
The network usually has 24 hours to restore power if more than 5,000 homes are affected by an outage.
If 12 hours or more pass without power in your home, you can claim back £75 as a domestic customer or £150 as a non-domestic customer.
You may also receive £35 for each additional 12 hour period of being off supply, up to a total of £300.
If your gas supply faces an outage due to planned works, you could be entitled to £20 compensation if your supplier did not give more than five days notice.
If you are off supply for more than 24 hours, you may be entitled to more money.
Claims must be made within three months for unplanned supply cuts or one month for planned supply cuts and you can find out your local gas network here.
You can make a claim through your local network company.
Internet outage
Previously, broadband companies have issued warnings to customers during a heatwave, telling them to keep their internet routers out of the sun to avoid overheating.
Broadcast regulator Ofcom has a scheme to ensure that broadband and landline customers receive compensation from their provider when things go wrong, without the customer having to file a claim.
You can check to see if your provider is signed up here.
If your internet is down, simply report the fault to your broadband provider to be in line for compensation.
Rail disruptions
If your train is delayed or cancelled due to the weather, you may be entitled to compensation – even if the rail company has advised against travel.
Each rail company is different when it comes to compensation, so you will need to contact the company you've booked with to make a claim.
If your train has been delayed, all rail companies in the country have adopted a "delay repay" scheme which can be used to compensate travellers for unexpected delays.
Each passenger can get compensation for any delay of 15 minutes or more under the scheme, but how much you receive depends on the duration of the delay and the type of ticket used.
The compensation can range from 25% of the ticket price to 100% and you may be able to receive a full refund if your train was delayed by 120 minutes or more.
Travellers need to have proof of their train ticket and information on the delayed service when they make their claim online.
If you choose to not travel due to the weather, you may be able to claim a refund.
National Rail states that your unused ticket can be refunded and you shouldn't be charged a fee if you choose to not travel.
If you wish to file a complaint about the rail service you have received, you may also be able to make a claim for a refund.
If the issue is not resolved with the rail company, you can escalate the issue to the Rail Ombudsman – an independent organisation that offers free advice to help customers resolve any rail complaints.
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