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Feb 2024

News

Lib Dems brand Yorkshire Water's £27-a-year increase in bills 'disgraceful'

Published: 6 Feb 2024, 06:05 GMT

by John Plummer

The Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough has described the £27-a-year increase in bills by Yorkshire Water as a "slap in the face" to customers.

The water company has revealed annual bills will rise by 6% this year from £440 to £467. They were £414 last year.

The news comes a week after the Stray Ferret revealed the results of a survey by the Angling Trust, which discovered local rivers the Nidd and Ure were among the most polluted in the country.

Tom Gordon, who hopes to win Harrogate and Knaresborough off Conservative Andrew Jones, called for Yorkshire Water to halt the increase "until water firms scrap insulting overseas dividends and executive bonuses”.

Mr Gordon said:

“People in Harrogate and Knaresborough should not have to endure this disgraceful price hike. During a cost of living crisis, it is a slap in the face to all those in our community who now have to pay more to water companies who have for years been pumping filthy sewage into our rivers.

“What is even more scandalous is that Conservative ministers have just stood aside and let water companies walk all over their customers. Yorkshire Water should be digging into their own pockets for once and not force these additional costs onto people in Harrogate and Knaresborough during a cost of living crisis.

“There should be an immediate end to sky-high bonuses and payments going to overseas investors. Money that should instead be going straight on fixing our crumbling infrastructure.”

'Investing £4.7 billion into infrastructure'

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said its bills remained below the national average. They added:

"The increase is in line with charges agreed with Ofwat at the start of the current business plan period and will be invested in our networks across the region. The rise in average bills has been partially offset by performance determinations from Ofwat.

“We understand this is a difficult financial time for many people and we are working hard to offer support to those who may be struggling.

“In Yorkshire, between 2015 and 2025, we’ll have invested over £4.7 billion into improving our infrastructure. In the next year, we’ll be completing our key environmental improvement plans for wastewater treatment works around the region, while continuing to make plans for improvements to our sewage network. We’ll also finish a programme of £180 million of investment by April 2025 to reduce the use of storm overflows across the county."

Rivers Nidd and Ure named among UK's most polluted rivers

River Nidd clean-up campaign boosted by £500,000 from Yorkshire Water

Glut of housebuilding in Harrogate worsening Nidd raw sewage problem

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Lib Dems brand Yorkshire Water's £27-a-year increase in bills 'disgraceful'

'Investing £4.7 billion into infrastructure'

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