We need to pay £10bn to clean up their mess

[SirGalahad]

Sewage spills: Water bills set to rise to pay for £10bn upgrade

Water companies apologise for sewage spills in England, but critics say customers should not foot the bill.

www.bbc.co.uk

So they pollute the waterways to cut costs and pay their shareholders but now they want £10bn to clean up their own mess.

Tory gonna Tory.

Bills could rise after water suppliers in England said they were ready to spend £10bn on tackling sewage spills.
The privately owned companies have apologised for the amount of contaminated water being discharged into rivers and seas, amid mounting public anger over the practice.
Some campaigners have cautiously welcomed the move, but others say firms are shifting the cost on to billpayers.

The industry paid out £1.4bn to shareholders in 2022.

I love being a Tory.

 

[SirGalahad]

"What I am actually hearing is no apology for the fact we have paid them for a service we haven't got, they are now suggesting we pay them a second time for a service we haven't had,"

 

[SirGalahad]

"So Tories relax law to allow more release, Water companies then want more money to clean up all they extra they release."

I am loving being a Tory.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

I doubt that anyone in power ever seriously thought that privatising monopoly utilities was a good long-term idea. Unfortunately this is the outcome of the govt of the day trying to rake in a few quid without caring about the future.

I haven't heard either party suggesting a real solution. Corbyn had the right idea, but was shot down for rocking the boat too much. I doubt that Starmer is going to come up with any radical ideas, he'll just be more of the same moaning.

My suggestion would be to tighten regulations, increase fines and don't let them raise prices, forcing them into bankruptcy. Then the govt can buy up their assets from their liquidators and start again, running it as a public service again.

 

[transam]

How about if every one stopped paying there water bill and tell em to go and do one ???

Than again as per the poll tax nonsense

People just sit on there arris and whinge

 

[motorbiking]

Water companies should not have been privatised, unless it was done the same way gas and electric was done.

Until the consumer has choice of supplier - it's all pointless. That is not saying that I blame the government for badly run utilities. We'd probably have had the same issues with a nationalised water company and we'd have the same bill to clean up. Except it would be millions more because the public sector never does "efficient".

 

[SirGalahad]

I doubt that anyone in power ever seriously thought that privatising monopoly utilities was a good long-term idea. Unfortunately this is the outcome of the govt of the day trying to rake in a few quid without caring about the future.

I haven't heard either party suggesting a real solution. Corbyn had the right idea, but was shot down for rocking the boat too much. I doubt that Starmer is going to come up with any radical ideas, he'll just be more of the same moaning.

My suggestion would be to tighten regulations, increase fines and don't let them raise prices, forcing them into bankruptcy. Then the govt can buy up their assets from their liquidators and start again, running it as a public service again.

How dare you be anti-business and woke. You are the enemy of the people and the Daily Mail readers will be salivating going after lefty socialisyst anti business types.

 

[SirGalahad]

One reason they are dumping raw sewage into the rivers and waterways is that they don't have enough chemicals thanks to Brexit.

The Brexit benefits - **** in our rivers. Brexiteers I love them.

 

[Stivino]

One reason they are dumping raw sewage into the rivers and waterways is that they don't have enough chemicals thanks to Brexit.

The Brexit benefits - **** in our rivers. Brexiteers I love them.

What chemicals are used in waste water treatment?

 

[scbk]

The general population connected to mains sewerage could do more if they wanted to, how many people on here ask about connecting rainwater and sending it down the sewers, also all the front gardens that have been paved over. When it rains the sewage works are overwhelmed

 

[diy_fun_uk]

Nothing that's required to keep the proverbial lights on or keep people moving in our country should be in private hands.

 

[Dork Lard]

Classic example of bad capitalism.

I only wonder just how many brown envelopes this one took.

 

[Odds]

 

[JohnD]

The best bit is that, after they have paid billions in dividends and interest on loans they borrowed to pay them, while claiming poverty

And we all pay more billions for improved facilities

The things we have paid for will be the water co.s assets.

England's privatised water firms paid £57bn in dividends since 1991

Critics say utilities borrowing to pay shareholders instead of improving infrastructure

www.theguardian.com

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

How dare you be anti-business and woke. You are the enemy of the people and the Daily Mail readers will be salivating going after lefty socialisyst anti business types.

I know you're being silly, but sadly many do have this sort of idiotic thinking.

To my mind it's quite simple - if it's a monopoly then it's a public service and should be run by the state. If there's competition then private companies will run things more efficiently and keep each other's prices in check. I run a business, if I increased my prices all my customers would just take their money elsewhere, market forces well and truly control me.

None of the utilities have genuine competition. The others pretend they do but it's largely a smokescreen. There is still just one network of pipes and cables, whatever brand is on your bill you're still indirectly paying the same company.

I wanted a price for upgrading our electricity supply. £15k was the answer, from the one and only monopoly owner of all the cables, for this you deal with them directly instead of via whatever supplier you use. I think they just pick a number and treble it.