Thank you to all those who contacted me about issues with Thames Water, from increasingly high water bills to poor services. It is clear water companies are failing to deliver for customers and the environment, and the public has rightly had enough.
I am aware that Thames Water announced average water and wastewater bills would increase on 1 April 2025 by £17 per month. I was informed that these charges vary depending on whether you are an unmetered or metered customer. Some constituents reported an eye-watering increase of 33%.
According to Thames Water’s website, the new charges are part of a five-year business plan that will invest in new infrastructure and improve its services. But, despite these rising bills and promises, constituents are still dealing with instances of blocked drains, sewage leaks, limited water supply and a continual lack of effective correspondence and support.
On 18 August, I wrote a letter to Thames Water to make it clear that this is not acceptable. The people of Lewisham North should not suffer and pay the price for the organisation’s failings. This continues to be a worrying situation for constituents, and I assure you I will continue to monitor each case very closely.
On a national scale, I believe the problems Thames Water and other water companies face have arisen because the last Government weakened regulation, failed to invest in infrastructure and allowed water bosses to take massive bonuses while pumping record levels of sewage into our waters. I share anger about the payment of dividends by any water company that has not considered performance and service delivery for customers and the environment.
I am glad the Government fined Thames Water £122.7 million for failing to properly manage its wastewater operations, including infrastructure for sewage treatment and sewerage networks and for breaching rules on dividend payments.
I supported the landmark Water (Special Measures) Act 2025, a major step forward in reforming and fixing the broken water system. The Act:
- blocks bonuses for executives who pollute our waterways
- brings criminal charges against persistent law breakers
- enables automatic and severe penalties for wrongdoing
- ensures monitoring of every sewage outlet
I am pleased the Government has already banned unfair bonuses for bosses at six water companies. Like anyone else, water company bosses should only get bonuses for performing well and not if they have failed to tackle water pollution.
The Government is responding to the Independent Water Commission for England and Wales and has already fast-tracked five of its recommendations. On 21 July, the Government announced that Ofwat will be abolished and replaced by a new, single, powerful regulator to take responsibility of water functions across Ofwat, Environment Agency, Natural England and Drinking Water Inspectorate, ending complexity that gets in the way of delivering for customers.
Thank you once again to all those who raised this important issue.