Competition and Markets Authority allows water monopolies to charge customers more, again, despite them syphoning billions off customers.
Well isn’t this ironic?
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) which is supposed to represent customers by promoting competitive markets and tackling unfair behaviour is allowing water companies Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, South East Water, Southern Water, and Wessex Water to raise bills.
“The group has provisionally decided to allow 21% – an additional £556m in revenue – of the total £2.7bn the five firms requested.
“This extra funding is expected to result in an average increase of 3% in bills… in addition to the 24% increase for customers of these companies expected as part of Ofwat’s original determination.”
Wessex household and business customers faced the largest increase – on top of the rise agreed by Ofwat – of 5%, leaving their average annual bills at £622.
South East and Southern customers will see rises of 4% and 3%. Anglian and Northumbrian’s increase by 1%.
The companies appealed Ofwat’s decision and the CMA, somewhat ridiculously, has upheld it.
Chair of the CMA’s independent panel, Kirstin Baker, said: “We’ve found that water companies’ requests for significant bill increases, on top of those allowed by Ofwat, are largely unjustified.
But then still allowed rises…
Water companies have been allowed to act as regional monopolies since privatisation with customers having no choice.
They have consistently stripped profits and paid shareholders and fat cats despite polluting rivers and seas at will through poorly thought out and policed discharge licenses.
Proof of damage to health and environment of sewage pollution has been proven and presented since the early 90’s by Surfers Against Sewage another groups.
With a captive audience and a necessity of service – water (!) and sewage (!) companies have taken advantage of a perfect business model.
Government watchdogs like Offwat and now the CMA have enable them and been complicit in the great water rip off.
