"Thames Water said this week that it is pushing up water bills by 17%, it was accompanied by the usual stuff about overhauling our Victorian pipes. Thames Water is owned by Macquarie Bank, known as Australia's "millionaire factory" – an antipodean version of Goldman Sachs. I think we can guess where the money will trickle to."
Source The Guardian
in failing to get approval from OFWAT to raise water prices THAMES WATER is now closing many of its Reading offices and sub contracting the work.
ReplyDeletecustomer services is one of the offices to be closed in april 2010so you will not be able to speak direct to T.Water in Reading.
management will not tell us what is happening to T.Water in Reading.
If you live in a flat that CANNOT have a water meter--eg because you have a communal hot water supply shared with other flats in the block, you do NOT have to live with being (grossly over)charged on your "rateable value". You are entitled to an "assessed charge".
ReplyDeleteFor a small household in a small flat, like mine in London, this could HALVE your water bill.
I've only just discovered this. Thousands of people don't know of it. So why doesn't Thames Water tell them about it?
Because it deliberately chooses not to. It has told me in as many words that it will only tell you AFTER you've applied for a meter, and it declares (correctly) that that is impossible. Would you apply for a meter when you know perfectly well that your flat is the sort that cannot be metered? Probably not--why waste your time? As Thames Water must know.
How very convenient your (my) ignorance is for the giant monopoly called Thames Water. And its Australian owners.
Shouldn't the water regulator, Ofwat, insist that the water companies tell their customers about this form of charging. You might think so--but Ofwat doesn't. It actively approves (yes, it has told me so) of the water companies' lack of information. On grounds too ridiculous to be set out here.
How very convenient again for Thames Water. And spineless couldnt-care-less Ofwat has the nerve to claim that it protects consumers! Not on this matter it doesn't--just the opposite.
Latest news, the CEO is bailing out.........bye Mr Owens
ReplyDelete