News that average water bills are set to rise by 4.6 per cent this year will be another bitter pill for Londoners on low incomes struggling to make ends meet.
I recently got an assurance from Boris Johnson that he expects Thames Water to bear additional costs if the Super Sewer goes over budget. According to Government figures this could amount to between £80 and £90 in peak years on London water bills.
Water metering in London is essential if we are to tackle waste and encourage more careful use of resources. However, we need to ensure this does not disadvantage the poorest Londoners.
One approach to protecting low income groups and addressing water conservation is the “Rising Block Tariff’. This involves setting bills so that essential day-to-day water use is affordable to all, but that much steeper unit charges are levied on those who used very significant amounts of water, such as the owners of private swimming pools or golf courses.
Water bills should include a “social tariff” that provides additional help for the poorest households.
Sadly, the water regulator Ofwat has been slow to grasp the importance of such innovations.
Without a real shake-up of the water industry it will meet neither its environmental nor its social obligations.
Darren Johnson AM
Green Party member, London Assembly
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