I have written to the CEO of Southern Water, strongly objecting to their outrageous price increases. It it totally unfair for executives excessive bonuses when Southern Water continues to fail local people.
The full word text is below, and a copy of the letter attached.
Sent on Tuesday 29th April 2025
As Member of Parliament for Fareham and Waterlooville, I am writing in complete opposition to your latest increase in charges for local residents.
To increase wastewater charges by 51.5% at a time when most other bills are going up shows a complete ignorance of the views of local residents, highlighted by the deftness shown to the wishes of the community by Southern Water in numerous consultations on all aspects of the company.
Southern Water has made no attempt to justify this increase in charges and can point to no tangible improvement in its services that would justify a price increase at all, let alone one that hikes the average bill up by over £200 annually. Investment in ‘water recycling’ projects and other unproven technologies has been regularly opposed by the community, and yet is prioritised over improvements to basic services that so many Hampshire residents rely on.
Southern Water also has a track record of repeated failure, being subject to total fines of over £126 million by Ofwat for dumping raw sewage, including a record £90 million fine after 51 offences of breaching environmental law. Time and again, local residents have made clear their views on price increases, pollution treatment, and their opposition to untested technology being used in unnecessary projects, and time and again, Southern Water has completely ignored their concerns and ploughed on ahead regardless.
It is hard not to see this price increase as passing the burden of Southern Water’s continued failings onto local people, who are seeing no return on a more expensive failing service. Southern Water seems to have almost no regard for how low its reputation has shrunk. It has so far refused to make any improvements to alleviate local residents' opinion that it is one of the worst utility companies in the country.
I note that last year you took home a £183,600 bonus, with Southern Water’s executives being paid over £1,000,000 in base pay, bonuses, and pensions, and yet local residents are still subject to appalling failings on leakage, sewer flooding, and the feeling that Southern Water simply does not care about them.
It can’t be right that Southern Water are able to increase its charges so exorbitantly when residents consistently receive a poor service in return.
The money received by Southern Water should go directly towards fixing our local water infrastructure, delivering a better service to consumers, and not to paying executives or shareholders. I urge you to strongly reconsider this decision to impose further costs on local residents.
Yours sincerely,
Suella
Rt Hon Suella Braverman KC MP
Member of Parliament for Fareham & Waterlooville
