What The District Council Will Charge You For Pest Control

May

21

9 comments

Earlier this year the District Council decided to charge nearly everyone for pest control.

Up till now people on benefits got a free pest control service , and every householder got free treatment of rats and mice. Now there would be a charge ? to save the council about ?13,000.

Back in March , the council agreed to this initial set of charges:

Rats and Mice ?36
Wasps and Bees ?50.40
Bed Bugs ?204 (?102 for people on means tested benefits)
Fleas and other insects ?100.80 (?50.40 for people on means tested benefits)

You can see the wording on this here. There was some additional wording that said:

“in cases of exceptional financial hardship, the Head of Environmental Services shall have discretion to reduce the charge.”

Because of the special provisions for people on benefits, and for those facing financial hardship, we were willing to accept this.

Since then, council officers went out to see if they could negotiate better rates, and they were able to do so. The proposed new tariffs were shown here:

Rats & Mice ?31.86 + VAT
Wasps & Bees ? 41.70
Bed Bugs ?166.80
Fleas and other insects ? 83.40

The lower charges were good, but we were concerned to see no mention of a reduction for people on benefits or facing hardship! So we queried this, and were told that the old wording would still apply. So we can now confirm that the new charges from June 1st are indeed as follows:

Rats & Mice ?31.66 + VAT = ?38
Wasps & Bees ? 41.70 No VAT
Bed Bugs ?166.80 No VAT (?83.40 for people in receipt of means tested benefits)
Fleas and other insects ? 83.40 No VAT (?41.70 for people in receipt of means tested benefits)
.
In cases of exceptional financial hardship, the Head of Environmental Services shall have discretion to reduce the charge.

We’re grateful to the Head of Environmental Services, Mr Evans, and the Portfolio Holder, Cllr Steptoe, for clarifying this.

If you don’t think this is an issue worth writing about, watch this video about bedbugs!

You can also read this Guardian report here.

About the author, admin

  • I have discovered I still have mice when I thought I had got rid of them few years ago. I know exactly where they are coming from and have brought a device which I plug in and supposed to get rid of them. I have only got the product on 11th Sept 2013 however the company informs me will take 30 days. Even though I can block the holes etc they would still be ‘there’. Is there anything you can do to help as I am on benefits although I do have dogs and birds. I have a baby monitor and have seen them on cam.

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