First small steps taken towards tackling water bill inequality
Legislation has finally been tabled to tackle the "historic wrong" of sky-high Westcountry water charges.
A so-called "money Bill" was published in Parliament yesterday that will enable the Government to cut every South West Water bill by £50 from April next year.
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The move has eased some concern among MPs in the region who feared the Government was dragging its heels.
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said: "Households in the South West have for a number of years had the highest water bills in the country due to the cost of investing in infrastructure that was required following privatisation.
"We have made a commitment to enable South West Water to cut bills by £50 per year for all household customers. Hopefully people will feel that it goes some way to righting this historic wrong."
In November, Chancellor George Osborne announced all 700,000 South West Water bill payers would get £50 a year off their bill. It represents a £35 million annual Treasury bail-out. Ministers have pledged the rebate will last until the end of the next spending period, which is the end of the decade.
At the time, average annual South West Water bills stood at £517 – more than £150 higher than the national level, and £100 above the next highest cost region. Many in the Westcountry pay more than £1,000 a year.
But water regulator Ofwat this week confirmed the region's bills would rise to £543 from April.
Following privatisation in the 1980s, Westcountry residents were left to pay for the upkeep of 30 per cent of the country's coastline, despite Devon and Cornwall representing just 3 per cent of the population.
As well as footing a £2 billion infrastructure bill to stop raw sewage being dumped into the sea, Westcountry households also bear the cost of millions of tourists who put extra pressure on the water and sewage system.
Tory MP for South West Devon Gary Streeter said: "This is the culmination of a long battle and it's good to see something substantial being put on the table which will lead to some relief to hard-pressed water charge payers. It's a very welcome step."
Last month, David Cameron said slashing £50 off bills would correct the "unfairness" under a previous Conservative government that has left residents paying to clean up after holidaymakers.
Mr Cameron is himself a regular holidaymaker in Devon and Cornwall, and has spent time in the region during Parliament's last two summer recesses.
A spokesman for South West Water said: "On behalf of our customers, we welcome this legislation which will pave the way for the £50 reduction the Prime Minister reiterated his support for last month as a regular visitor to South West beaches.
"This will go a long way to rectify what many have identified since 1989 as the unfairness of 3 per cent of the population funding the clean-up of 30 per cent of the nation's bathing waters.
"We are working closely with the Government to introduce this reduction for domestic bill-payers from April next year."
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by mike175uk
Saturday, March 31 2012, 3:42PM
“water is rising by next year so it wont cover it i phoned them they said it was due to our beaches needing cleaning yeah right i use to be a volunteer cleaning beaches never seen anyone from south west waters do it rubbish excuse and we have loads of water pipes through our city well so does most other citys were on a island so why are we being charged more and another is they take there price increase to offshore to see if they can do it off shore says yes everytime think its offshore anyway they think its fair thats also what they said on the phone its not exactly fair with the southwest being the most low paid jobs aswell its extortion sorry about my spelling and grammer its just putting money in powerful peoples pockets and lying about everything so if every signs a petition or someone stands up for us then we would be better off but us in the southwest are to shy or nervous to stand up to them me for 1 they can stop hundreds from moaning but they cant stop thousands”
by Peter_sims
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 7:57PM
“Number of signatures:
137
Created by:
Mrs Maxine Davies
Yeah good luck. Maybe you should start a Facebook campaign too.”
by madmax76
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 7:21PM
“http://tinyurl.com/7dpw7ea
Ladies and gents please take a minute to sign the above e petition, demanding fairer water bills for the South West, £50 is nowhere near enough, in fact its an insult! Thanks.”
by mizzyv
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 1:48PM
“SWW take £30 a week from my bank account. £10 of that is for arrears and the other £20 is my fixed weekly rate. Seems an extortionate amount for a basic necessity.”
by PCCwatcher
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 11:43AM
“The whole £50 rebate will be totally swallowed by SWW price rises before it's introduced - what's the betting that SWW director's bonuses go up by ...... £50!
Even the poorest African villages get free water - it's one of life's basics; it's what a government is meant to PROVIDE it's people. In the UK it's just another profit opportunity for the corrupt politicians to exploit.
When will it be re-nationalised?”
by stagedoor
Tuesday, February 07 2012, 9:26AM
“£50.00 reduction from april 2013,
really, dave snooty & colonel sanders are having a larf aint they!
just ask yourself how much it has cost so far, to reach the conclusion
that we are being "ripped off big time" by SWW LTD.
colonel sanders & his merry band of cross party debaters have spent years,
looking at this, & hey they come up with the conculsion that "our water bills are the highest in the country" big deal & there answer is knock £50.00 off the average bill!
total waste of time, politicians, elected by the people to serve themselves!!!!”
by Cerberus2010
Monday, February 06 2012, 2:11PM
“Sweeney2010 - You may be getting confused with the neighbouring Wessex Water that is owned by the YTL Corporation, one of Malaysia's leading conglomerates that have a lot of fingers in a lot of pies worldwide supplying utilities.
I did hear a rumour recently that the Chinese had moved into utility supply in the South East UK. EDF? E.on? possibly.”
by Rose361
Monday, February 06 2012, 10:21AM
“sweeney2010 you heard WONG!! They have shares in Thames water only.”
by Terrywright1
Monday, February 06 2012, 10:13AM
“Funny how it takes 18 or so months to organise a reduction in bills when it can only take a matter of days to go the other way. I don't think that we will see very much of the proposed £50.00 reduction when it eventuall comes about do you?
One thing that is about right though, concerning farm animal waste running into the rivers and thence to the beaches and sea, BULL####!”
by sweeney2010
Sunday, February 05 2012, 8:00PM
“I heard recently that the Chinese are the major shareholders in SWW these days!!!”