[Sussex] Southern Water rip off

[LamieRobertson]

An extract from an article published today

One of Britain’s worst-performing water companies is seeking to raise household bills by more than £350 a year amid claims that new environmental laws will force it to spend more.

Southern Water, which supplies Kent, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and parts of Sussex, now wants annual bills to increase from £420 to £772 by 2029.

That is up from the company’s previous request of £727, according to data published by regulator Ofwat.

The £352 bill increase represents an 84pc hike and is by far the biggest being sought by companies, which have raised their spending requests to Ofwat by £7bn since earlier this year.

 

[Justice]

£28.95 a month with Southern Water.
No meter, 4 bed house.

Seems like a lottery does SW

 

[BrightonCottager]

Angry?
Join the March for Clean Water in London on 3rd November.
Details here

 

[LamieRobertson]

My sympathies for those affected …..and then I read that SWA have permission to increase bills massively (53%)..over the next five years

Tens of thousands of properties across Hampshire are without water after a supply fault.

Homes in and around Southampton and the New Forest had been warned by Southern Water the disruption could continue into the weekend.

The issue has caused more than 20 schools to close and cafes and restaurants have been told not to open unless staff can wash their hands.

On Thursday morning, the company said its teams had worked overnight and managed to “fix” the problem at the Testwood Water Supply Works.

The reservoir is now being filled up, but it will be a “gradual process which must be done carefully and safely”.

Some customers will start to be reconnected later today, it said.

Seven tankers have been sent to University Hospital Southampton to ensure operations can go ahead as planned.

The latest supply issue comes a year after a similar problem and on the same day that Ofwat, the industry regulator, announced average water bill increases of 36 per cent over the next five years.

 

[jcdenton08]

Corrupt bunch of robbing bastards being allowed to get away with outright theft by successive governments.

I’d really really like it if Labour actually made some enemies of these broken businesses and corrupt blood sucking organisations.

It would be better than making enemies of pensioners, farmers and goodness knows who’s next.

Everyone can see the rank injustice in society as big business pays out billions to incredibly wealthy executives and shareholders, often using money gained with the help of the public purse, and prices rise further hurting the neediest in society.

Labour for all their bluster have hurt the public even more with WFA cut, while prices continue to rise.

So, so disappointed.

 

[rippleman]

Corrupt bunch of robbing bastards being allowed to get away with outright theft by successive governments.

I’d really really like it if Labour actually made some enemies of these broken businesses and corrupt blood sucking organisations.

It would be better than making enemies of pensioners, farmers and goodness knows who’s next.

Everyone can see the rank injustice in society as big business pays out billions to incredibly wealthy executives and shareholders, often using money gained with the help of the public purse, and prices rise further hurting the neediest in society.

Labour for all their bluster have hurt the public even more with WFA cut, while prices continue to rise.

So, so disappointed.

Disappointed but unsurprised.

Yet again, a "regulator" dancing to the tune of the suppliers with no consideration or concern for the consumer. Doing exactly the same as OFGEN did for the oil and gas companies.

OFWAT and OFGEN are not fit for purpose; they have to go.

 

[Mustafa II]

If I was the government, I would start by separating water companies in two - waste water and drinking water. Then they can be judged and penalised on their own merit. The drinking water is generally very good in this country, whereas the waste water side is not performing, in part due to the increase in monitoring of sewage outfalls in the last decade.

I'm not convinced that nationalisation of water is a good thing, even though it's what some people are pushing for. It would be a monumental expense, and there is no guarantee that it would be any better. At least in its current form, it is heavily regulated and there are individuals who are criminally accountable if something goes wrong.

 

[jcdenton08]

Disappointed but unsurprised.

Yet again, a "regulator" dancing to the tune of the suppliers with no consideration or concern for the consumer. Doing exactly the same as OFGEN did for the oil and gas companies.

OFWAT and OFGEN are not fit for purpose; they have to go.

Why isn’t this their tentpole policy?

“We know the energy and water regulators are not fit for purpose, and dangerously hand in glove with the suppliers. We are reforming the entire industry. Starting now.”

Something literally the entire population outside of a handful of millionaires and billionaires can get behind.

A truly positive change to bring to an end a horrendously corrupt cabal costing the taxpayers billions in excessive costs.

But no. Absolutely nothing has changed or will change.

 

[jcdenton08]

. At least in its current form, it is heavily regulated and there are individuals who are criminally accountable if something goes wrong.

Tell me you’re joking!!!

 

[Triggaaar]

Tell me you’re joking!!!

'If something goes wrong'

 

[jcdenton08]

'If something goes wrong'

Heaven forbid. Things are going so brilliantly right now. Excuse me while I wash the literal human shit out of my hair with bottled water.

 

[rippleman]

If I was the government, I would start by separating water companies in two - waste water and drinking water. Then they can be judged and penalised on their own merit. The drinking water is generally very good in this country, whereas the waste water side is not performing, in part due to the increase in monitoring of sewage outfalls in the last decade.

I'm not convinced that nationalisation of water is a good thing, even though it's what some people are pushing for. It would be a monumental expense, and there is no guarantee that it would be any better. At least in its current form, it is heavily regulated and there are individuals who are criminally accountable if something goes wrong.

When they actually supply it. Over 50K homes in Southampton still without water due to a "supply issue".

 

[dstanman]

Strange how the announcement comes as the House of Commons has just gone into Cristmas recess, preventing any debate.

About time the regulator gave customers the freedom on which supplier they want to use

 

[Arthritic Toe]

Water is another utility that should never have been privatised.
...

Agree entirely, but it especially applies to water. The aim of any private company is to maximize the profit for its shareholders. In other words, they will deliver the minimum possible service for the cheapest possible cost. The cheapest option for sewage treatment is to dump the maximum possible amount of sewage into our waterways that they can get away with, within the (weak) framework of the regulation provided by the Environment Agency. It just seems so blatently obvious that you wouldnt put this sort of thing into a private company's hands - how the hell did we let it happen?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Disappointed but unsurprised.

Yet again, a "regulator" dancing to the tune of the suppliers with no consideration or concern for the consumer. Doing exactly the same as OFGEN did for the oil and gas companies.

OFWAT and OFGEN are not fit for purpose; they have to go.

Maybe we need a regulator to measure their performance?

OFOFF?

 

[LamieRobertson]

Agree entirely, but it especially applies to water. The aim of any private company is to maximize the profit for its shareholders. In other words, they will deliver the minimum possible service for the cheapest possible cost. The cheapest option for sewage treatment is to dump the maximum possible amount of sewage into our waterways that they can get away with, within the (weak) framework of the regulation provided by the Environment Agency. It just seems so blatently obvious that you wouldnt put this sort of thing into a private company's hands - how the hell did we let it happen?

Agreed…..personally not against some of the privatisations….especially where it can provide a competitive market ….but water/sewage pffft ..no choice whatsoever