‘Its outrageous that these privatised companies have been given the green light to raise bills for households when they have paid £57 million in dividends to shareholders.’

News that the country’s privatised water companies are to be allowed to raise water rate bills for families by an average £176 a year across England over the next few years has been attacked by Labour MP Jon Cruddas and the Dagenham and Rainham Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Margaret Mullane.

Jon told the Havering Daily: “It is nothing short of outrageous that these privatised companies have been given the green light to raise bills for households when they have paid out £57 billion in dividends to shareholders from 1991 to 2020.  Those profits would have been better used to fix the water leaks and sewage spills into our rivers and seas.”

Margaret Mullane added: “They are asking customers who are already struggling with a cost of living crisis to pay £96 billion to make repairs to the water supply system, build new reservoirs and stop the pollution of our rivers and seas due to frequent sewage discharges. In the case of Thames Water they will be hiking their bill by £175 a year. 

During a six month period last year Thames Water made a profit of almost £400 million with its Chief Executive receiving an annual salary of £1.6 million. We need a reform of the water industry and the regulator’s role and powers. If elected as MP for Dagenham and Rainham I will be calling for these reforms to protect hard pressed families and protect our environment.

I agree with Jon, before asking families to meet the bill the water companies should be using their profits to go towardsfunding these works.”

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