| Water bills 09:22 - Dec 19 with 1468 views | DJR |
I have the misfortune to live in the Southern Water area whose record when it comes to maintenance, discharges and the environment is appalling, and has been for as long as I've lived in the area (as I found out to my cost a couple of years after I moved to the area).
Their reward is the biggest increase in water bills of all the companies over the next five years; 53%, with inflation on top of that.
The size of the increase is an indication of the state they have got the infrastructure into.
EDIT: Whilst these companies should never have been privatised, I am not convinced that nationalisation is the panacea because these companies no longer have ingrained in them the public good ethos.
[Post edited 19 Dec 2024 9:35]
|  | | |  |
| Water bills on 09:23 - Dec 19 with 1448 views | NthQldITFC |
Any excuse to roll out an old joke:
What have Southern Water and a Pelican got in common? |  |
| |
| Water bills on 09:37 - Dec 19 with 1344 views | DanTheMan |
A nice 46% here for Severn Trent. Wonderful.
I'd be OK with this but I'm rather sceptical that they'll not just pocket the profit and fix nothing. |  |
| |
| Water bills on 09:47 - Dec 19 with 1302 views | mutters |
Its an absolute sh!tshow from the water companies. As opposed to raising bills howabout you stop paying dividends to your shareholders and get your own house in order?
I remember when Thames Water were replacing all the old victorian pipes in London and they were selling it as how great they were investing all this money... no in reality its because they didnt invest diddly squat and so it all caught up with them.
Lack of competition is just terrible. Atleast let me shop around for a water suppiler rather than just have a postcode lottery. |  |
| |
| Water bills on 10:10 - Dec 19 with 1230 views | Churchman |
You will be comfy and warm in the knowledge that 6 in 10 water companies’ Chief Execs last year had to make do with an average rise in bonuses of £180,000. How on earth will they cope? Still, thanks to a regulator who’s about as effective as an Ombudsman I suspect they’ll do a little better this time around.
Here in the land of Thames Water I’ve no doubt the rises will be the same and the investment in infrastructure the same. Ramped up bills, bumper bonuses, worsening service, zero investment. These are private companies with a monopoly who know how to sweat the assets. Why would it be any other way?
You couldn’t make it up. |  | | |
| Water bills on 10:11 - Dec 19 with 1229 views | Trequartista |
It's a complete disgrace. What competition is there in Ipswich for Anglian Water? Water should be nationalised full stop. |  |
| |
| Water bills on 10:20 - Dec 19 with 1155 views | Benters |
Arseholes ain’t they,that’s why I have so many Butts. |  |
| |
| Water bills on 10:30 - Dec 19 with 1136 views | mutters |
Can they legally cut off your water supply if you dont pay? | |
| |
| Water bills on 10:37 - Dec 19 with 1109 views | Benters |
| Water bills on 10:30 - Dec 19 by mutters |
Can they legally cut off your water supply if you dont pay? |
Someone once told me they couldn’t do that. | |
| |
Login to get fewer ads
| Water bills on 10:50 - Dec 19 with 1073 views | DanTheMan |
| Water bills on 10:30 - Dec 19 by mutters |
Can they legally cut off your water supply if you dont pay? |
No. | |
| |
| Water bills on 11:14 - Dec 19 with 1019 views | ParisBlue |
| Water bills on 10:30 - Dec 19 by mutters |
Can they legally cut off your water supply if you dont pay? |
As a consumer they can't cut you off, but if they believe you can pay (based on information from agencies) they will try to litigate you e.g. CCJ and/or register you with credit agencies (e.g. Experian) thus affecting being accepted for a mortgage, financing a new car etc.
If you truly can't pay then the water companies have some decent affordability schemes to help based on circumstances (e.g. medical conditions, being on benefits, life events) so they can help. |  |
| |
| Water bills on 11:37 - Dec 19 with 940 views | Zx1988 |
| Water bills on 11:14 - Dec 19 by ParisBlue |
As a consumer they can't cut you off, but if they believe you can pay (based on information from agencies) they will try to litigate you e.g. CCJ and/or register you with credit agencies (e.g. Experian) thus affecting being accepted for a mortgage, financing a new car etc.
If you truly can't pay then the water companies have some decent affordability schemes to help based on circumstances (e.g. medical conditions, being on benefits, life events) so they can help. |
I seem to recall reading somewhere that they can also throttle your supply. Whilst not cutting you off entirely, they can make it incredibly inconvenient for you to use water, especially if it takes substantially longer to fill a kettle, for instance. |  |
| |
| Water bills on 12:48 - Dec 19 with 779 views | Keno |
If you call southern water and complain they will say it been miscalculated and reduce it |  |
| |
| Water bills on 13:38 - Dec 19 with 694 views | OldFart71 |
Why for instance does Anglian Water need to advertise ? I didn't realise I had a choice as to who supplies my water. It is also so counter productive fining water companies for failing to meet their requirements. Executive wages should along with share dividends be directly linked with the viability of these water companies and profits made. No profit, no dividend, no profit, no large bonuses etc to executives.
Added to this there's no cut by the BoE in interest rates due to inflation at 2.6%, partly due to increased costs to businesses via minimum wage and extra N.I. charges coming in next year. That just leads to the question of why build huge amounts of extra houses when people can't get on the property ladder. When does affordable become unaffordable. Obviously it's dependant on a family's income. But for a majority upwards of £230,000 and it becomes exceptionally difficult and you won't find much housing available for that amount in many areas of the UK. | | | |
| Water bills on 13:45 - Dec 19 with 669 views | hype313 |
Privatising industries that have a monopoly is absurd. |  |
| |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
