OnTheWight always welcomes a Letter to the Editor to share with our readers – unsurprisingly they don’t always reflect the views of this publication. If you have something you’d like to share, get in touch and of course, your considered comments are welcome below.
This from Maggie Nelmes, Ventnor. Ed
It’s scandalous! Water companies across the country are putting pressure on government regulator Ofwat to permit huge hikes in our water bills.
In July, Ofwat provisionally agreed a rise of 44 per cent over the next five years for Southern Water customers, compared to a national average rise of 21 per cent.
But greedy Southern Water is demanding a shocking 84 per cent from next April to 2030.
Ofwat is expected to announce its decision on whether or not to approve the increases on 19th December.
How revenue is spent
What can possibly justify the biggest bill rise in the history of five-year reviews? The water industry claims it is for desperately-needed infrastructure.
University of Greenwich research reveals that currently about 11 per cent of revenue from our water bills goes directly to shareholders, and 20 per cent to service debts that water companies have taken on since privatisation, in 1989, to help pay shareholder dividends.
Renationalise now
Campaign group We Own It, which calls for water services to be brought back into public ownership, states:
“Your private water company has a monopoly in your area and there is no market, you have no choice about the water company you use.
“Privatisation is a legalised scam. Since the 1990s, investment from the privatised English water companies has gone down by 15%, and they’ve built up a debt mountain of over £60 billion (paid for by us). Meanwhile, shareholders have received £78 billion over the last 35 years.
“Under privatisation, it pays to pollute. Instead of spending money on infrastructure to tackle sewage and leaks, the water companies prioritise their shareholders.
“We rely on Ofwat and the under-funded Environment Agency to slap their wrists when it goes wrong.”
84 per cent increase in water bills
An 84 per cent increase in water bills is simply unaffordable for many households on the Isle of Wight, already struggling with huge increases in the cost of heating their homes.
The Consumer Council for Water says that eligibility and support for those on low incomes varies by company. It is calling for a single social tariff, to end what it calls “a postcode lottery of assistance”, to provide a safety net.
Sign the petition
Meanwhile, decision time on 19th December is looming. Clive Lewis MP is urging everyone to sign his petition to tell Ofwat to stand up to the water bosses and refuse further hikes in our bills:
“For decades, these companies have poured raw sewage into our rivers, causing illnesses and profound ecological damage, and they have let critical infrastructure collapse.
“So why is Ofwat allowing customers to foot the bill for their mess?”
Please sign the petition now:
Tell OFWAT: We’re Not Paying for Their Mess
