MSE News: Ofwat rejects Thames Water's bid to hike bills

"Ofwat says Thames Water's 8% one-off increase to households' average bills of £354 could not be justified..."
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Ofwat rejects Thames Water's bid to hike bills

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  • Why don't they try harder to recover the money from non-paying customers, and fix their leaks - which is effectively, and literally, money down the drain!
    Let me Google that for you...
  • DJ_Mike
    DJ_Mike Posts: 247
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    I remember reading a while back that Thames Water were far and away the worst for wasting water through leaking pipes. Is this still the case?
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,036
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    Why don't they try harder to recover the money from non-paying customers, !
    Thames Water said it wanted to raise prices because of cash-strapped customers failing to pay their bills

    These days many customers are aware that water supplies cannot be cut-off, so they are quite content to see others paying extra to cover the loss in revenue.

    Even if it goes to court, at considerable expense to the company, the judgements are often to pay back a small amount each week - which is usually ignored. The 'black mark' on their credit record is of little consequence to some people.

    This situation not helped by some posters on MSE encouraging people to avoid paying their water bill on any pretext.
  • DJ_Mike wrote: »
    I remember reading a while back that Thames Water were far and away the worst for wasting water through leaking pipes. Is this still the case?

    I don't know the current situation, but around 12 years ago, a rather ancient water-main caused havoc when it burst, and flooded a rather swanky part of London.

    Thames Water senior management (As I recall it was the CEO) "opted" to open a 12" drain valve into a sewer, to avoid the possibility of the main bursting again. They left it running for years. That's a 12" diameter pipe running full-bore straight into a sewer, 24/7/365. It may still be running now for all I know. OFWAT were informed at the time, but chose to do nothing.
  • samsmoot
    samsmoot Posts: 736 Forumite
    Cardew wrote: »
    These days many customers are aware that water supplies cannot be cut-off, so they are quite content to see others paying extra to cover the loss in revenue.

    Even if it goes to court, at considerable expense to the company, the judgements are often to pay back a small amount each week - which is usually ignored. The 'black mark' on their credit record is of little consequence to some people.

    This situation not helped by some posters on MSE encouraging people to avoid paying their water bill on any pretext.

    Should you then not be lobbying your MP to get the law changed so as to make these scoundrels pay up? You do seem quite peeved, and as moaning about it on here hasn't helped perhaps you should try a different tactic.
  • Pincher
    Pincher Posts: 6,552
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    samsmoot wrote: »
    Should you then not be lobbying your MP to get the law changed so as to make these scoundrels pay up? You do seem quite peeved, and as moaning about it on here hasn't helped perhaps you should try a different tactic.

    Impound their cars and auction unless they pay up.
    This is a reverse-Robin Hood approach, we rob the people who are in debt and won't pay up, to lower the bills for the decent folks of Londonham.

    Before the law catches up to permit this, we need to take the IRA's example. The car repo team will have to be the clandestine and illegal arm of the Thames Water Sinn Fenn.

    I would strongly advise against kidnapping their grand mothers, as they are precisely the uncaring creeps who have been plotting to get rid of their grandmothers for their money and house. A live hostage just means you have taken on a long term liability in housing, food and water, and towel baths. Also, the flatulence will drive you crazy.
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,036
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    samsmoot wrote: »
    Should you then not be lobbying your MP to get the law changed so as to make these scoundrels pay up? You do seem quite peeved, and as moaning about it on here hasn't helped perhaps you should try a different tactic.

    My preferred tactic is to shame those who do not pay, and criticise those on MSE who encourage people to use any pretext not to pay.
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,008
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    edited 8 November 2013 at 3:33PM
    DJ_Mike wrote: »
    I remember reading a while back that Thames Water were far and away the worst for wasting water through leaking pipes. Is this still the case?

    To be fair, they also probably have the oldest (mostly Victorian or Edwardian vintage), longest, and densest supply network, with the heaviest amount traffic passing over it.
    Anyone living or commuting in London knows that TW and their contractors have been working on supply pipe replacement for years now. It's a massive task, and doing it any faster would cause even more traffic disruption.
    The problem is that much of the original suply pipework is all of the same era and so is widely failing at the same time. We are lucky that Bazalgette had the foresight to build his sewers to last more than a century, and to handle volume far in excess of what was ever envisaged as necessary at the time.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • samsmoot
    samsmoot Posts: 736 Forumite
    Cardew wrote: »
    My preferred tactic is to shame those who do not pay, and criticise those on MSE who encourage people to use any pretext not to pay.

    Best of luck in getting anywhere with that.
  • Uxb
    Uxb Posts: 1,340 Forumite
    Why don't they try harder to recover the money from non-paying customers, and fix their leaks - which is effectively, and literally, money down the drain!

    Sadly Nope,
    Leaks can cost far more to fix than the cost of the water leaking from them.
    What this means of course is that water is too cheap. If it was more expensive and hence valuable then leaks would be more financially viable to fix quicker.
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