Southern Water

ScaredWitless

Back in March last year, Southern Water increased my monthly payment from £15 to £29.

This was a massive 51.3% price hike, which I simply cannot afford.

I am on a water meter, we have no dishwasher or washing machine, just the 2 of us in a 3 bedroom bungalow.

I immediately cancelled my direct debit, and sent an email of complaint to Lawrence Gosden, strangely Southern Water claimed not to have received it even though the email address was valid.

I asked in the complaint how the price increase of this nature was justified, and can we sort things out so I could pay a lower payment as I couldn't afford it.

Southern Water refused to cooperate over the price increase claiming it was needed for infrastructure costs, and never responded in helping with my monthly payment.

I escalated the complaint further, I raised other issues such as poor company performance, the amount of sewage incidents in my area, etc etc.

Southern Water just basically refused to respond completely.

One letter I sent with an enclosure dated the 27th October 2025, went unanswered!!

I heard no more from Southern Water, then on 16th January 2026, I received a letter, out of the blue, from a debt collector agency called Themis Recoveries.

At 2AM on Saturday 17th January 2026, Themis sent me an unwanted text message asking for payment.

I reported them to the Financial Conduct Authority as this is against guidelines.

I have written again to Southern Water asking why are they not co operating with a customer to resolve the issues I have legitimately raised but instead send me to a debt collector?

I have informed them my husband should even be on the bill or any correspondence as I was the bill payer, I've asked them to remove his name from their records.

I am registered disabled with lifelong medical conditions, including a rare genetic disorder, I don't need the stress from Southern Water over a bill of just £100 is rather shocking behaviour.

I am not prepared to pay for a shoddy company who has poor performance, and repeated issues with sewage spills, and whom was told to improve last year by the Environment Agency.

Any advice please, I don't want a default on my CRA nor does my husband who wasn't paying the bill.

QrizB

ScaredWitless said:

Back in March last year, Southern Water increased my monthly payment from £15 to £29.

£15 a month sounds anormally low. Even £29 a month is at the lower range of normal.

ScaredWitless said:

I am on a water meter

Check your water bills. Are you being billed based on actual meter readings or on estimates? Are there any arrears being recovered?

ScaredWitless said:

I have written again to Southern Water asking why are they not co operating with a customer to resolve the issues I have legitimately raised but instead send me to a debt collector?

There are no "issues", you simply haven't paid your bill. How else do you expect them to respond?

ScaredWitless said:

Any advice please, I don't want a default on my CRA nor does my husband who wasn't paying the bill.

Check your bill.

If it's correct, pay it.

la531983

15 to 29 is almost 100% btw, not 51.3%

Robin9

From Southern Water www

Am I eligible for a water bill discount?

You may be eligible for a discount if any of the following applies to you: 

• Your household income is low
• Everyone in your home gets a means-tested benefit
• You’ve got three or more children under 19 living at home
• Someone living with you needs more water because of a medical condition
• You haven’t made a payment to us for a while.

Flugelhorn

I agree it sounds on the low side anyway - mine is that sort of amount (£30) for a place I only live in half the week (though I only pay when the bill arrives) 

If the figures are correct then that is the amount that has to be paid - though you should look at water bill discounts as described above - I know of some families who have this and the monthly amount is capped at about £35

Brie

Robin9 said:

From Southern Water www

Am I eligible for a water bill discount?

You may be eligible for a discount if any of the following applies to you: 

• Your household income is low
• Everyone in your home gets a means-tested benefit
• You’ve got three or more children under 19 living at home
• Someone living with you needs more water because of a medical condition
• You haven’t made a payment to us for a while.

This is likely to be the most relevant to you if your medical condition means extra water is required.  i.e. you need to bath more frequently or use the toilet significantly more than average.  They should adjust your bills to show water use on par with someone without those needs which should reduce the amount that should be paid.

Robin9

@ScaredWitless Can you post the last 3 years of meter readings please and indicate if the readings are actual or estimated.

MattMattMattUK

ScaredWitless said:

Back in March last year, Southern Water increased my monthly payment from £15 to £29.

This was a massive 51.3% price hike, which I simply cannot afford.

The Standing Charges went from £7.56 to £11.90 per month so they would have had to increase to cover that, realistically I would be very suprised if your usage was so low you were covering your bills in full at £15 per month previously, so the £29 probably accounts for an element of getting everything up to date. 

ScaredWitless said:

I am on a water meter, we have no dishwasher or washing machine, just the 2 of us in a 3 bedroom bungalow.

£15 per month usage previously would have been very very low, even the £29 per month if purely usage and no element of catching up would be low usage for two people. 

ScaredWitless said:

I immediately cancelled my direct debit, and sent an email of complaint to Lawrence Gosden, strangely Southern Water claimed not to have received it even though the email address was valid.

Cancelling the Direct Debit was not sensible and the route to communicate is not to send an email to a random person that you assume is valid. 

ScaredWitless said:

I asked in the complaint how the price increase of this nature was justified, and can we sort things out so I could pay a lower payment as I couldn't afford it.

Southern Water refused to cooperate over the price increase claiming it was needed for infrastructure costs, and never responded in helping with my monthly payment.

I escalated the complaint further, I raised other issues such as poor company performance, the amount of sewage incidents in my area, etc etc.

Southern Water just basically refused to respond completely.

One letter I sent with an enclosure dated the 27th October 2025, went unanswered!!

None of that is of any relevance. They are a regulated supplier, prices are agreed with the regulator under a complex legal framework. The methodology for that is clearly laid out on the Ofwat website, there for all to see. You sending them random emails and/or letters are not going to get a response and are not required to be responded to.

ScaredWitless said:

At 2AM on Saturday 17th January 2026, Themis sent me an unwanted text message asking for payment.

I reported them to the Financial Conduct Authority as this is against guidelines.

You cancelled your Direct Debit and refused to pay your bill, the problem is you, it is not against any guidelines. This is not a CCA debt.

ScaredWitless said:

I have written again to Southern Water asking why are they not co operating with a customer to resolve the issues I have legitimately raised but instead send me to a debt collector?

There is no issue to resolve other than your refusal to pay the bill. You refused to pay your bill, hence you have been sent to debt collection.

ScaredWitless said:

I have informed them my husband should even be on the bill or any correspondence as I was the bill payer, I've asked them to remove his name from their records.

I am registered disabled with lifelong medical conditions, including a rare genetic disorder, I don't need the stress from Southern Water over a bill of just £100 is rather shocking behaviour.

Then pay the bill, as you are legally required to do.

ScaredWitless said:

I am not prepared to pay for a shoddy company who has poor performance, and repeated issues with sewage spills, and whom was told to improve last year by the Environment Agency.

If you want to use water and sewage then you need to pay for that, or have your property disconnected, the choice is yours. Using them but refusing to pay is not an option.

ScaredWitless said:

Any advice please, I don't want a default on my CRA nor does my husband who wasn't paying the bill.

Pay your bills, either in your name, or in the name of the (possibly joint) property owners/occupiers. The chances are you already have late payment markers from this, possibly default markers and if you continue with your current behaviour you will end up with a CCJ and then enforcement actions.