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This Is Why

Water: Bills to rise but how do we clean up the industry?

This Is Why

Sky News

News Commentary, Daily News, News

4.0 • 552 Ratings

🗓️ 11 July 2024

⏱️ 24 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Water bills are to rise by an average of 21% over the next five years, the industry regulator Ofwat has ruled. 
 
But with the impact of the cost-of-living, water companies spilling record amounts of sewage into our waters, and controversial bonuses for senior leaders, do we need a complete overhaul of the industry?  
  
On this episode, Niall Paterson hears from our business correspondent Paul Kelso in Henley, on the impact for consumers, providers and our water ways. 
 
Niall also speaks to Stuart Colville, deputy CEO of Water UK, which represents the water companies, asking why they disagree with Ofwat’s plans. 
 
Plus, Feargal Sharkey, campaigner and former lead vocalist of The Undertones, joins Niall to share his reaction and the story behind his efforts to protect our rivers and seas. 

For further background from Sky News, you can read Paul Kelso’s further analysis of Ofwat's business plans for Thames Water’s survival here.  
 
Producers: Soila Apparicio, Rosie Gillott 
Editor: Paul Stanworth 
Promotions producer: David Chipakupaku 

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Uber drivers. Have you seen your pay go down while your fees to Uber go up?

0:05.0

All because of an algorithm that reduces your take-home pay, making you work more for less.

0:10.0

We believe Uber's dynamic pay and upfront pricing is unfair.

0:14.0

That's why Worker Info Exchange has launched the dynamic pay claim to seek compensation for drivers who have lost income. If you've driven for Uber

0:22.7

at any time since 2020, it's time to stand together. Find out more at dynamic pay.org.

0:30.1

Add water to your will. And know that from that single drop, life will grow. Communities will flourish. A better world will be left.

0:43.3

By leaving a gift in your will to Water Aid, you'll help bring essential clean water to people who need it,

0:49.3

to change their own lives for generations to come. Add WaterAid to your will.

0:55.7

Search WaterAid legacy to find out how.

1:03.1

Soon, we'll all be paying more for our water.

1:06.5

In an interim decision, the industry regulator Offwatt has told the 16 companies in England and Wales

1:12.4

that they won't be accepting their proposed increases to bills. Instead, they've gone for a figure

1:18.9

a third lower, meaning on average bills will rise by 21% over five years. The industry says it

1:26.9

needs the money for much-needed infrastructure,

1:29.5

and perhaps no wonder. There's been a steady drip, drip, drip of negative stories about the

1:34.9

sector, leaks wasting millions of gallons of clean water, huge profits for shareholders and bonuses

1:40.8

for bosses, but untreated sewage flowing into our rivers time and again.

1:46.4

With the recent change in government comes a feeling that perhaps this could all be run much,

1:51.5

much better. I'm Neil Patterson. This is the Sky News Daily.

1:57.3

Later on, we will be hearing from the industry itself. Water UK will be joining us.

2:02.1

So to Fergo Sharkey, once best known as lead singer of the undertones, now a campaigner for cleaner rivers.

2:09.0

I was doing nothing more than mind of my own business, standing in the middle of a river,

...

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