Families behind with water bills could have flow reduced to

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Families behind with water bills could have flow reduced to

Post by BASEL » Tue Jun 23, 2009 10:27 am

Families behind with water bills could have flow reduced to just a trickle

By Sean Poulter
Last updated at 11:38 PM on 22nd June 2009

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Water tap

Running out of time: Tap water could be cut to a trickle if families fall behind with their bills under a crackdown proposed by industry giants

Families who don't pay their water bills could have the supply to their homes cut to a trickle.

It would take ages to fill a kettle from the tap and be virtually impossible to have a shower or do other everyday tasks using water straight from the mains.

Even brushing your teeth would become a chore, while running a bath would take so long the water would be cold.

The proposal, designed to force defaulting customers to pay up, copies a scheme used in Australia and has been put forward by Thames Water at a time when the industry wants to raise bills at above inflation for years to come.

Other suppliers are likely to support the idea from Britain's biggest water company for restricting supplies.

Thames, which is majority-owned by an Australian bank and yesterday revealed a 4 per cent rise in annual profits to £435.1million in the year to March, called it a 'last resort' against a hardcore of customers who refuse to pay their bills and said each case would require a court order.

But the Consumer Council for Water, the official customer body, claims the measure could hit poorer families who simply cannot afford to pay.

The water industry wants inflation-busting increases in charges over the next five years. Suppliers say they need the money to fix leaks, clean rivers and build reservoirs.

In some parts of the country bills could rise by as much as 45 per cent in cash terms between 2010 and 2015. Customers of South West Water who do not have a meter could see the average bill rise from £755 to around £1,100 once inflation is added to the equation.

Increases of this size would make it increasingly difficult for customers to keep up their payments, leaving them open to sanctions such as the proposed cap on water flow.

A decision on the scale of water and sewerage bill increases will be made later this year by industry regulator Ofwat.

It is illegal to cut off a household which is behind with its bill because water is considered an essential, both to drink and for hygiene.

However, Thames says it wants the option of restricting the flow to allow it to take action against customers who choose not to pay, rather than those who cannot afford to pay. It has detailed the proposal in a letter to MPs investigating water management on the Commons environment select committee.

It would be achieved by fitting a trickle flow meter restricting the mains supply into a house. The letter said the devices used in Australia 'inconvenience the customer to prioritise payment of their bill, while still allowing a level of water to flow that meets public health needs'.

Thames Water director Richard Aylard said non-payment of water bills across the UK costs paying customers an average of £11 a year. He added: 'We need to sort out the "can't pays" - who we can help - from the hardcore "won't pays".'

Tony Smith, chief executive of the Consumer Council for Water, said restricting supplies through trickle flow meters 'is not a good idea'.

He added: 'We are concerned that this device would be used against those who cannot afford to pay.'
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ickle.html
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