Thames Water has been blasted as ‘charlatans’ by a pensioner from Reading whose bill has more than doubled to £1,200 per year.
Thames Water has come under fire from 83-year-old Ross Laugher, a pensioner from Reading, whose water bill has soared to £1,200 a year.
Laugher, who lives on Skilton Road in Tilehurst, saw his charges double from £23 to £44 per month earlier this year, before jumping again to £100 per month. He expressed his anger, saying: “I’m an old-age pensioner, this is daylight robbery!”
He critiqued the company, claiming they’ve mishandled his charges: “I have a water meter, and I think they have massaged the figures. I don’t believe them at all.” Previously, he paid around £276 a year based on his old rate.
Thames Water has faced backlash for discharging sewage into rivers to manage excess waste, leading to a £104.5 million fine from OFWAT for breaching wastewater regulations. Responding to Laugher’s claims, a Thames Water spokesperson explained that his direct debit was underestimated based on winter consumption, not accounting for higher summer usage. They stated, “We’ve calculated his new direct debit based on usage across the year.”
Laugher dismissed this justification as “claptrap nonsense.” Despite the controversies, Thames Water insists it is committed to assisting low-income customers through various support schemes, helping about 400,000 households in 2024/25 alone.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
