Full list of water companies forced to pay back £157,000,000 to customers | British News

Water companies will be forced to pay a fine of more than £157 million after missing key targets to reduce pollution, leaks and supply disruptions, Ofwat said.

Thames Water, Affinity Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy are among more than a dozen companies hit with the hefty fine.

As customer satisfaction continues to decline, they continue to blame external factors such as the weather for the problems.

Not a single company achieved the regulator’s highest category of “leading” for the second year in a row.

Meanwhile, Anglian Water, Welsh Water and Southern Water fell into the bottom category of ‘backward’, while the remaining 10 were rated ‘average’.

This means that the bills of the 13 companies’ customers will be reduced in order to influence the penalties.

However, the regulator said the exact amount that will be returned to people will be finalized in December.

Every year, Ofwat assesses the performance of water companies in England and Wales against the “stringent” targets they set in 2019 for a period of five years to 2025.

If they fail to comply, the regulator limits the amount of money they can take from customers.

Ofwat confirmed that all figures were provisional pending the completion of a review process.

Ofwat CEO David Black said: “This year’s performance report is clear evidence that money alone will not deliver the sustained improvements that people rightly expect.”

“It is clear that companies need to change, and that must start with addressing issues of culture and leadership.”

“Too often we hear that the weather, third parties or external factors are blamed for defects.”

“Companies need to take action now to improve their performance, be more dynamic and agile, and be at the forefront of problems.” And don’t wait for the government or regulators to tell them to act.

“Looking ahead to the next price control, the challenge for water companies is to balance investment with the changes in corporate culture and performance that are essential for lasting change.”

The penalties are separate from an ongoing Ofwat investigation into all 11 water companies in England and Wales, which ordered three companies to pay £168 million in fines following initial investigation findings in August.

This comes amid growing public and political anger over proposed legislative increases and bonuses for executives in the privatized water sector.

Years of underinvestment by privately owned companies, combined with aging water infrastructure, a growing population and more extreme weather caused by climate change, have resulted in the quality of England’s rivers, lakes and oceans plummeting.

Some water utilities also suffer from high levels of debt or are criticized for dividends to shareholders and bonuses for executives.

Labor has said it wants the sector to reduce oil spills and has proposed sweeping new laws that could see bosses face up to two years in prison if they obstruct regulators.

On Monday, a report from the Environment Agency found that almost a fifth of water supplies are lost through leaks before they reach customers’ taps.

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