The Isle of Wight could see the highest water bills in England within the next 5 years – topping almost £1,000 a year – if Southern Water’s plans to hike bills by a whopping 91% are approved. The shock figure has come to light thanks to the Consumer Council for Water, which has listed the proposed increases by water companies up and down the country. Between now and 2030, Southern Water wants to see the average bill rise to around £915 a year, from £479 that households are paying in 2024, to help fund infrastructure investment which would include reducing the use of storm overflows. The massive hike is also said to be required to safeguard water supplies for a rapidly growing population. Nothing is set in stone yet with initial approval set to be made on 12th June, with finalised figures by the end of the year. It’s entirely possible that Ofwat, the governing body, will knock back plans and ask Southern Water to reduce their 91% hike towards a more sensible 50% – but that would still mean a massive utility bill hike for Isle of Wight households. Katy Taylor, Southern Water’s Chief Customer Officer, has said:
“We share everyone’s concerns about rising payments in the face of a cost-of-living crisis. “That’s why we continue to support customers who need help to pay their bills, offering 156,000 households a minimum 45 per cent discount. “The water needs of our water-stressed region pose a unique set of challenges which require significant investment, to reduce the use of storm overflows, safeguard water supplies for a rapidly growing population, and protect the environment. “We have put forward billing options to Ofwat and these will be decided by the regulator in due course.”
When are we going to say enough is enough and make a stand. If every single person stopped paying their bill then Southern Water would have no alternative but to rethink. Perhaps we start a boycott
google boycottwaterbills .com
Trouble being you would need a huge amount of unified support, and that would be like herding cats.
The water privatisation fiasco has run its course. You can’t privatise a bunch of monopolies when there is obviously no competition. The whole thing has been an appalling game with billions taken from customers to hand out to shareholders while the service goes down the toilet. Obviously, there has been little investment in improving services and the existing infrastructure is crumbling. This is just a total disaster and water companies should be put back in the hands of the state.
It as done 750 years since the last peasants revolt, about time for another.
If we were French it would’ve happened a long time ago, us British love being controlled by moron politicians
Criminal, the real crooks are not behind bars
they run our lives.
Buxton spring is much cheaper.
Safeguard water supplies my arse. It’s to safeguard bosses and share holders
Share Holders come first remember!!!
Well, the bosses luxury holidays aren’t going to pay for themselves. Best make the peasants pay more so their fun won’t get spoiled.
As someone who worked in the water industry. Do Southern Water not think that they should cut the ridiculous amounts of money that are paid to shareholders? And invest the money where it is most needed, instead of topping up the jolly old boys bank balances. Don’t they realise that people are struggling just to survive from day to day. I expect all the shareholders are sitting round the table with the chairman shouting hip hip hurrah!
With any luck we can pay more and get the squits too. Bonus!
First of all scrap dividends to shareholders, it is daylight robbery. This country is like a cesspool like the water SW supposedly are in charge of.
Southern Water have been banned from paying out dividends since 2017. They can, however, pay out bonuses.
How much have they paid out to shareholders and ceos? If Thatcher was never here, that would already have been spent on the infrastructure.
Judging by the comments on this article, there are quite a lot of us to prepared to ‘just say no’. If we all refuse to pay our bills, what can they do? It would take years to get through the courts – and the prisons are all full anyway!
91% isn’t going to get the go ahead that’s the first thing. Secondly your already paying less than when it was nationalised. Finally private companies make a profit, get over it.
Suppose they can’t decrease bonuses to pay for all the infrastructure upgrades required, they can just pass the buck to customers!
Ah, if only we had a government committed to regulation for water, transport, energy etc.
what you mean is a nanny state that panders to the whiny spongers,rather than supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of business owners, where the best service goes to those that can pay
Except water companies have regional monopolies, you can’t shop around like for car insurance…
Water is a basic human right not a business opportunity.
Suggestion. Stop silly wages and bonuses for ineffective bosses Stop or be more realistic with shareholder pay-outs. Shareholder pay-outs has been the death of public services, its all ,MONEY,MONEY
Don’t foget if the charges for water go up to this greedy amount, so will the rip off cost for returning grey water to the sewer for treatment, wihich we are being screwed out of because it is being dumped in the sea instead, and every tory minister voted for it. We are being crapped on yet again
Welcome to Tory Britain where we can’t afford the free stuff that falls from the sky. Tories sold everything off including the kitchen sink. We have no country, we’re just renting the UK from other countries. The Tories done what Hitler could not, and has giving our country away.
While I’m not in favour of nationalising everything I do think there is a need in this case, perhaps I can get some Africans to come and do a water bore hole in my garden.
Im seriously thinking about selling up and fucking off, this bastard country is a fucking joke..
Go on and do us all a favour.
Another nail in the coffin for hardworking islanders in RIP OFF Britain. Money won’t be invested and will line the pockets of fat cat bosses and shareholders.