Water companies have been ordered to return millions back through lower bills. Fine is separate to £168million three water firms were ordered to pay in AugustWater companies have been ordered to return nearly £158million to customers after falling short of standards, the regulator has said.
It comes as the UK's largest water company seeks billions of pounds in equity to avoid being plunged into administration.A tanker pumping out excess sewage from the Lightlands Lane sewage pumping station in Cookham, Berkshire, in January As bills are due to go up overall in April, it is not clear whether homeowners will be better of or not with the rebate.
'It is clear that companies need to change and that has to start with addressing issues of culture and leadership. Too often we hear that weather, third parties or external factors are blamed for shortcomings. Mr Black told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'It tells us water company performance is not good enough.
Thames Water moved up a category from 'lagging' to 'average' as it met some performance targets on leakage and supply interruptions. Labour has said it wants the sector to reduce spills and has even proposed sweeping new laws which could see bosses face up to two years in jail if they obstruct regulators.
'The government should give regulators its full backing and give them the powers and resources to properly police pollution. Only then we may start to see actual improvements to service and the health of our rivers and seas.'By Oliver Price, Data Journalist Over the last three decades, all the above-inflation hikes add up to roughly £2,100 – enough to buy a family-of-four a week-long all-inclusive holiday to Majorca at a four-star hotel.
Ofwat last month fined Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and Northumbrian Water just shy of £170million between them for failing to address the issue. Only companies which provide both water and sewerage were included, as various mergers and buyouts over the last 30 years have made the smaller water-only firms difficult to track.
United Utilities came under fire in March after it was revealed it had leaked more raw sewage into England's rivers and seas than any other firm in 2023, amounting to around 650,000 hours' worth.Anglian Water saw the lowest levels of above-inflation bills rises in the last 30 years, at £350, as per the calculations.
'Under plans proposed by the water industry, bills are set to rise an average of £94 per person over the next five years.'This is simply unacceptable and a clear illustration of why we need transformational reform of our water system.' A Defra spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We will never look the other way while water companies pump record levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas.
A Water UK spokesperson said: 'As this data shows, water bills have fallen in real terms over the last decade.
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