Ofwat letting water firms charge twice to tackle sewage, court to hear

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Ofwat's Secret Charge: Water Firms Hit Customers Twice to Fund Sewage Bill

A court case is set to uncover a shocking scandal in the UK water industry. Campaigners claim that Ofwat, the regulator of water companies, has allowed them to charge customers twice for sewage pollution - once as part of their regular bills and again as additional fees to pay off historic underinvestment.

The issue at hand is the PR24 decision, which sees water firms approved by Ofwat to invest £104 billion by 2030. This includes a hefty chunk to tackle record sewage pollution in rivers, which has resulted from years of underinvestment. Thames Water customers are facing a 35% bill hike, while Southern Water customers will see their bills jump by 53%. United Utilities is also raising prices by 32%.

However, campaigners argue that this is not just about paying for new infrastructure upgrades - it's about companies being forced to pay off decades of neglect and underinvestment. River Action, a charity group, claims that Ofwat's approach is unfair, as customers are being asked to foot the bill twice.

The case centers on whether water companies should be allowed to charge customers for past failures to invest in improvements. River Action argues that this was never intended and that shareholders should cover these costs. The court will decide if Ofwat's decision to allow these charges constitutes unlawful practices.

This raises questions about transparency, accountability, and fairness in the UK water industry. With millions of people already facing high bills due to rising costs, the revelation that customers may be paying twice for sewage pollution adds insult to injury. The case highlights a need for greater scrutiny and regulation of Ofwat's decisions.

As the court hearing gets underway, River Action is seeking to establish clarity around what customers can expect in terms of fair billing practices. If they succeed, it could lead to significant changes in how water companies operate - and potentially save households thousands of pounds per year.
 
🤔 I mean, come on, £104 billion by 2030? That's like a whole lotta cash... but at the same time, is that really enough to fix all these sewage problems? 🚽 I think some water companies are just using this as an excuse to raise their bills and screw customers over. I mean, why can't shareholders cover those costs instead of passing it on to us? 💸 It's like they're saying we should pay for their mistakes... no way! 😡

But wait, what if River Action is right? 🤷‍♀️ Maybe this whole thing was just a plan from the start to get customers to cough up even more cash. I don't know... it's all so confusing! 🙃 Can we really trust Ofwat to make fair decisions? 🤔
 
🤔 this whole thing sounds so shady... like a scene from a movie where the villain is trying to pull off some crazy scheme and no one's onto it 🎥. I mean, Ofwat's just allowing these water companies to fleece customers left and right... it's like they're trying to profit off people's misery 💸. And what really gets my goat is that it's not just about new infrastructure upgrades, it's about covering up decades of neglect 😒. River Action's got a point, though - shareholders should be footing the bill for past mistakes 🤑. The whole thing feels like a massive case of regulatory capture... and I'm loving the transparency 💡. If River Action wins this court case, it could lead to some real changes in how water companies operate 🔄. Fingers crossed that customers don't end up paying twice over 😩.
 
Wow, this is so unfair! 💦😡 Water firms are already taking advantage of people with high bills and now they're hitting customers twice for sewage pollution? That's ridiculous! 🤯 How can Ofwat just let them do that? 🚫 It's like they're taking advantage of people who are already struggling to pay their bills. This whole situation needs a major overhaul! 👊
 
Ugh, this is so messed up 🤯! Like, Ofwat is supposed to be regulating these water firms, not letting them take advantage of customers for decades. This PR24 decision is just a way for them to make up for lost time and screw over customers even more. I mean, 35% hike on Thames Water? 53% at Southern Water? That's insane! 💸 And it's not like they're investing in anything new, just paying off their own failures. River Action is right, shareholders should be covering these costs, not customers who are already struggling with high bills. This whole thing reeks of unfairness and lack of transparency. The fact that customers are being asked to pay twice for sewage pollution is just ridiculous 🚽.
 
omg this is so unfair 🤯!!! i feel like water firms are taking advantage of us customers for years now! charging us twice for sewage pollution is just not right 😡. if shareholders can cover these costs, then why should we be the ones to pay? it's just not fair 💸. river action is doing a great job in speaking up for us and seeking justice 🙌. i hope they succeed in their case and get some real change in the water industry 🚽. this is exactly why we need more transparency and accountability from our regulators 👀. let's keep an eye on this development and see what happens next! 💪
 
🚽😬 I'm so annoyed with the state of our sewage system! 🤯 Thames Water is charging its customers 35% more on top of their regular bills? That's just not fair ⏰. And it's not like they're even investing in new infrastructure to prevent this mess from happening again... they're just trying to cover up decades of neglect 😒. It's time for Ofwat to step up and hold these water companies accountable 📊.

I mean, think about it - customers are already paying enough for their water bills, and then we find out that we're also being asked to pay for past failures? That's just unfair 💸. And what about the shareholders who reaped all the benefits from this neglect? Shouldn't they be the ones covering these costs instead of passing them on to the customers? 🤑

The fact that Ofwat allowed this to happen is a huge red flag 🚨. We need more transparency and regulation in the water industry, stat 💪. And I'm all for River Action's efforts to establish clarity around fair billing practices - it's about time someone stood up for these customers! 👏
 
🤔 this is straight up crazy! i mean, water companies are already making us pay for our tap water, now we're being asked to pay again because of their past mistakes? 🚽😡 that's just not right. ofwat needs to step in and make sure these companies are held accountable for their actions. sharing the cost with shareholders is one thing, but passing it on to customers who didn't even live through the neglect is a whole different story 🤑👎
 
I'm low-key shocked by this 🤯. Like, I knew water bills were getting outta hand but paying TWICE for sewage? That's just not right. And if Ofwat is allowing this to happen, that's a major red flag. Transparency and accountability need to be on the table here. River Action is doing some great work pushing back against this unfair practice 🙌. But I'm still waiting to see what evidence they've got to back it up... gotta have sources before I believe it 😒
 
this is just ridiculous 🙄, people already paying thru the nose for water, now they're gonna get hit with even more for sewage? what's next? charging us twice for air we breathe? 🤯

and let's talk about Ofwat, what a joke 🤡, allowing these companies to charge customers twice is just not right. where's the transparency? where's the accountability? it's like they're just picking winners and losers in this game... southern water customers are gonna be paying 53% more and no one seems to care? that's not fairness, that's exploitation 🤑
 
🤯 this is crazy! I mean, I knew the water industry was a mess, but charging customers TWICE for sewage pollution? That's just not right 😡. Like, shouldn't shareholders be footing the bill for past mistakes instead of passing it on to innocent customers? 🤑 And Ofwat, the regulator, just lets them get away with it? Not cool! 👎 It's like they're just playing a big game of pass-the-parcel, and regular people are getting caught in the middle. I hope River Action wins this case and gets some real change happening. We need more transparency and accountability in our institutions, you know? 💡
 
I'm literally fuming about this one 🚽😡. Like, how is this even possible? You're charging people for pollution that's not even their fault? And now they're asking them to pay TWICE because Ofwat said it was okay? 🤯 It's like a scam, plain and simple.

I don't get why shareholders are always getting off scot-free. Don't they have a say in how much money is being spent on 'historic underinvestment'? I mean, I know water companies need to invest, but does that mean customers should foot the bill for decades of neglect? It's just not right.

And what really gets me is that this is just another example of why transparency and accountability are so important. Ofwat needs to be held accountable for its decisions. We need to know what we're paying for and whether it's fair or not. Otherwise, customers will keep getting screwed over 🤑.
 
I'm telling you, this whole thing with Ofwat's secret charge is a total mess 🤯... but at the same time, I think it's actually kinda fair that customers are being asked to pay for decades of neglect? Like, what were water companies thinking, just ignoring all those investments and leaving rivers to go down the drain? That's not right, you know?

But on the other hand, shouldn't shareholders be footing the bill for past mistakes? It seems like a no-brainer that Ofwat should make them cover it... unless you think the whole point is that water companies need some extra cash to upgrade their infrastructure and deal with all this sewage pollution? That just sounds like more of the same old problem.

Anyway, I'm really rooting for River Action in this case. They're fighting for transparency and accountability, which are basically the most important things right now. Let's hope the court makes some sense of it all 🤞... or maybe I'm just being too optimistic? 😅
 
🤕😩 this is getting outta hand...water companies charging customers twice for sewage? that's just not right. I mean, yeah, the underinvestment was a big problem, but now they're basically being forced to make it up to customers by making them pay for it twice. and Ofwat's just gonna sit there like "yeah, good luck with that". 🤷‍♂️

I'm low-key hoping River Action gets some wins here...thousands of pounds saved per year is a big deal. but at the same time, I'm worried about what else they might find out about water companies. are there more skeletons in the closet? 💦👀
 
omg this is so unfair!!! 🤯 who do these water companies think they are? charging ppl twice for the same thing?! River Action is totally right tho, shareholders should be covering those costs not customers! it's like, if ur company made a mistake, u gotta own up to it and pay for it, right? 💸💧
 
OMG, 35% bill hike for Thames Water? 🤯 that's crazy! I mean I get why there needs to be investment in fixing the sewage problem, but charging customers twice is just not fair, you know? Like, what's next? Charging us for air or something? 😂 anyway, hope River Action succeeds in their case and gets some changes made ASAP 🤞
 
I'm soooo frustrated with this whole situation 🤯! I mean, think about it, Ofwat is basically letting these water firms off the hook for decades of neglecting our rivers and now they're passing it on to us... TWICE! 😱 It's just not fair at all. The idea that customers have to pay again just because water companies were too lazy to invest in upgrades in the first place is just ridiculous 🙄.

I'm so glad River Action is taking Onwat to task over this. They deserve a serious smackdown 💪 for letting this happen under their watch. I mean, what's next? Are they going to let them charge us again for fixing the damage they caused in the first place?! 😲 It's absolutely outrageous and I'm not surprised people are up in arms about it 🤬.

We need some serious changes here and fast ⏱️. The water industry needs a lot more accountability and transparency. I'm rooting for River Action to make sure this kind of thing never happens again 💖.
 
😬 "The biggest risk is not taking any risk." 💸 The UK water industry's practice of charging customers twice for sewage pollution is a clear example of this. It's like playing a game where the house always wins, except in this case, the house is just a bunch of shareholders who get to pocket millions while people struggle to pay their bills 🤯. Something needs to change and fast, or we'll be seeing a lot more angry customers and a whole lot less water 💧.
 
I'm telling ya, this whole thing with the secret charge from Ofwat is a bit dodgy 😒. I mean, who wants to be hit twice for something that's basically just the water company's mess? 🤯 It's like they're taking advantage of customers just because shareholders want a handout. And 35% bill hike for Thames Water? That's like, whoa 💸. I remember when I was a kid and my parents had to take me to the beach and we'd see all these river pollution issues... it's just not right.

I'm with River Action on this one 🤝. It's about time someone held Ofwat accountable for their decisions. These water companies need to start putting the customers first, not just lining their pockets with shareholder cash 💸. If the court rules that they're being unfair, I hope it sends a strong message that transparency and accountability are key in this industry 📝.

It's like, what's the point of investing £104 billion if we're just going to pass the buck to customers? 🤷‍♂️ The UK water industry needs some serious shaking up. Fingers crossed River Action gets the outcome they want 👍!
 
🤔 This is wild... Like Ofwat's all about making sure the water firms have enough cash to deal with sewage issues, but now it sounds like customers are being asked to foot the bill TWICE 🚽💸! I'm not sure how fair that is, especially when people are already struggling to make ends meet. Shouldn't shareholders be covering these costs instead of customers? And what's with all the extra fees... it feels like they're just trying to squeeze every last penny out of us 😳.
 
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