Ministers will address water charge concerns

MINISTERS have been told of the “rising and continuing anger” felt by South West Water customers who still pay more for their supply than anywhere else in the country.

The Government has been urged not to “stand by” in the face of people’s plights, and that the “total unfairness” had gone on for too long. It came as it was claimed that the industry regulator Ofwat was ‘weak’, and that private water companies were “getting away with blue murder and that consumers are getting a raw deal”.

Environment Minister Huw Irranca-Davies insisted the Government was aware of the problems faced by householders in the South West, and pointed to the review into water charging that published its report earlier this week.

But the Government will not be responding until the inquiry publishes its full findings in the autumn.

Ministers announced the inquiry into water charging last year amid continuing concerns that South West Water customers pay the highest water bills in the UK, despite the below average incomes.

The review, headed by Anna Walker, highlighted that the average South West Water bill was £497, compared to £286 paid by Thames Water customers.

However, the inquiry signalled it did not favour spreading the cost burden for South West Water customers, who face the highest charges to keep a third of the country’s shoreline clean for visitor —  spending £2bn cleaning bathing waters as part of its Clean Sweep programme.

The inquiry said that regional pricing is “generally correct”. The review team urged ministers to consider introducing a new regional “water benefit” to help hard-pressed families.

In its absence, it called for a discount on bills of low-income households receiving council tax benefit in high charge areas like the South West, down towards the national average bill, based on cutting water usage. This could be up to as much as £171. Raising the issue at Westminster during environment questions, veteran Lib Dem MP Colin Breed told the Minister: “I hope that he will be aware of the rising and continuing anger of South West Water charge payers who, even after 15 years, are still paying substantially more for their water than people in any other part of the country.”

Mr Irranca-Davies said: “The Government will seek to respond to the review in full when the full report is published, but we have indicated that we are aware of the particular issues in the South West and we have to find a way to address them.”

Echo readers have been debating water bills online on the Echo’s website www.thisisexeter.co.uk

Rich, of Exeter, wrote: “Why should we pay more than the rest of the country leading us to be deprived of money. Why are our water bills almost three times more that what we pay monthly for gas/electricity etc etc?”

Bur Emm, from Exeter, wrote: “Why does everyone whinge about the water bills? I’ve lived all over the UK and paid much less in water than I pay down here. Yes, it annoys me, yes, it takes a lot of money but is it worth whinging about constantly? I don’t think so.”