I had the bill for the water rates last Saturday: Quite expected, and happy to pay it.

Welsh Water admitted that they knew I was likely to send them a cheque, as usual.

Why then did they telephone me twice within 10 days asking where the money was?

It was actually being transferred into an account with a chequebook.

They always say that can take three days.

Would they really have preferred a cheque that bounced?

I know legislation was brought in to make big firms quicken their payments to SMEs, but it was not intended to be the other way round.

The Guardian pay me for this column by receiving my bill one month and paying at the start of the next, so I’m paid regularly though a number of weeks late.

Most newspapers are the same: a bit of a wait for the first-ever cheque, but then regular.

But most newspapers are, I assume, running with plenty of money in the bank.

Are Welsh Water so badly run they need my rates tout suite in order to meet their own bills?

Has no one pointed out to them that they are wasting money by employing people to chase bills which are no way overdue?

I seem to recall that pestering people for money, even when it is owed, is a criminal offence.

Public services and councils need to be warned that chasing people for money before the end of the year it is due is unacceptable.

I used to cover non-payment of rates courts.

Trying to get money for the current year would have been laughed out of court.

Time it was again.