Ban water companies charging customers to upgrade the sewage network

Rejected 12 signatures

What the petition asks

The water companies are proposing charging customers to upgrade the sewage network so that raw sewage isn't pumped into the seas and waterways but they are paying out huge dividends to their shareholders. These profits should be used instead of charing customers even more.

Customers should not be paying to cover these costs anyway but given the cost of living crisis and inflation being so high, it is completely unethical to force families into further financial difficulty to pay for an issue the water companies have been aware of for years but ignored in order to maximise their profits.

Why it was rejected

It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.

Decisions about price controls for water, which include the cost of investment in infrastructure, are a matter for Ofwat, not the UK Government or Parliament.

Under the Water Industry Act 1991, Ofwat has statutory duty to make sure that companies are able to finance the proper carrying out of their functions. In setting price controls Ofwat's aim is to allow for a return on capital that is no more than necessary for an efficiently run company to get the funding they need from capital markets.

You can find out more about Ofwat's price controls here: https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/households/your-water-company/profits/

We've accepted the following petition which you may wish to sign:

Require water companies to pay a rebate when untreated sewage is discharged: Require water companies to pay a rebate when untreated sewage is discharged

Timeline

29 May 2023	Petition opened for signatures
2 Jun 2023	Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 12

Status Rejected

Rejected 2 Jun 2023

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