Water Firms to Charge Customers Twice as Water Pollution Hits Record Highs
In a shocking revelation, Ofwat has been accused of allowing water companies to charge customers twice for tackling sewage pollution - with an average annual bill rise of £123 per household. This means that customers are being asked to pay again for improvements made to achieve environmental compliance, which should have been funded from their previous bills.
The PR24 decision by Ofwat authorizes a massive injection of £104 billion over the next decade to improve sewage infrastructure and reduce pollution. However, this investment will be met with significant bill hikes, particularly for customers of struggling water companies such as Thames Water, Southern Water, and United Utilities.
In the case of Thames Water, customers are facing a 35% increase in bills, while Southern Water customers are being asked to pay 53% more - an average of £642 per year. This is despite Ofwat rules stating that customers must only pay for new infrastructure investment, not investment to bring companies into compliance with environmental legislation.
River Action, the campaign group behind the case, argues that customers should not be made to pay twice for water companies' past failures to invest in improvements to stop sewage pollution. Instead, they claim that shareholders should bear the cost of repairs and upgrades.
The court hearing in Manchester will determine whether Ofwat's approach is lawful and whether customers are being unfairly charged twice. The case argues that Ofwat must ensure that billions in approved investments result in legal compliance by water companies and fair billing for customers from now on.
As the hearing gets underway, campaigners and experts warn that degraded infrastructure continues to spew pollution into rivers and lakes across the country, despite decades of neglect. River Action's head of legal, Emma Dearnaley, said: "It is fundamental that the public should not be made to pay twice for water companies' past failures."
The outcome of this case will have significant implications for the water industry and the millions of customers affected by sewage pollution. One thing is certain - the fight for fair billing and environmental accountability is far from over.
In a shocking revelation, Ofwat has been accused of allowing water companies to charge customers twice for tackling sewage pollution - with an average annual bill rise of £123 per household. This means that customers are being asked to pay again for improvements made to achieve environmental compliance, which should have been funded from their previous bills.
The PR24 decision by Ofwat authorizes a massive injection of £104 billion over the next decade to improve sewage infrastructure and reduce pollution. However, this investment will be met with significant bill hikes, particularly for customers of struggling water companies such as Thames Water, Southern Water, and United Utilities.
In the case of Thames Water, customers are facing a 35% increase in bills, while Southern Water customers are being asked to pay 53% more - an average of £642 per year. This is despite Ofwat rules stating that customers must only pay for new infrastructure investment, not investment to bring companies into compliance with environmental legislation.
River Action, the campaign group behind the case, argues that customers should not be made to pay twice for water companies' past failures to invest in improvements to stop sewage pollution. Instead, they claim that shareholders should bear the cost of repairs and upgrades.
The court hearing in Manchester will determine whether Ofwat's approach is lawful and whether customers are being unfairly charged twice. The case argues that Ofwat must ensure that billions in approved investments result in legal compliance by water companies and fair billing for customers from now on.
As the hearing gets underway, campaigners and experts warn that degraded infrastructure continues to spew pollution into rivers and lakes across the country, despite decades of neglect. River Action's head of legal, Emma Dearnaley, said: "It is fundamental that the public should not be made to pay twice for water companies' past failures."
The outcome of this case will have significant implications for the water industry and the millions of customers affected by sewage pollution. One thing is certain - the fight for fair billing and environmental accountability is far from over.
it seems like water companies are just passing the buck to their customers and expecting them to foot the bill...again 
I mean, shouldn't they be investing in fixing the issues instead of making us pay twice? It's so unfair! We're already struggling with our school fees and other expenses, do we really need to worry about this too? 
The fact that Thames Water is charging 35% more and Southern Water is charging 53% more is just ridiculous...I'm so frustrated!
the fact that customers have to pay TWICE for the same thing is just, like, totally not fair 
and what really gets me is that shareholders are gonna get away with all this 
i mean, i'm not saying Ofwat's in cahoots or anything, but it does seem suspiciously convenient that they're letting water companies just jack up prices and then claim they need to charge customers again 
, its just a drop in the ocean 
. it's not like they didn't know about the issue before and were just waiting for someone else to sort it out 
. think of all the times you've complained about your water bill being too high? now its time to put your money where your mouth is 
.