Southern Water's £200 bill increase 'unbelievable'

Customers, including Doug Craib, have given their reaction to increases in water bills

A 53% increase in water bills by the end of the decade has been branded "unbelievable" by customers.

The steep rise is part of bill increases in England and Wales over the next five years to pay for supply infrastructure upgrades and to reduce sewage discharges, water regular Ofwat said.

The current average yearly bill for Southern Water customers is £420 but this will rise by more than £200 to £642 on average by 2030. Across the UK, the average water bill will rise by an average of £86 from April for the first year.

Southern Water CEO Lawrence Gosden said the rise was "essential" and that the company would be "significantly expanding" support for customers in need.

David Black, Ofwat chief executive, told the BBC the investment would "deliver significant reduction in sewage spills, further reductions in leakage, and drive up service for customers".

But customers said they were far from happy with the increases.

Doug Craib told BBC Radio Sussex: "There's an abject failure of the whole policy of privatisation as we've seen over the last 30 odd years.

"They've polluted our beaches and are poisoning the waters. Money has been stripped out of the business and paid to shareholders many of whom are abroad.

"The anger with Southern Water just runs so deep."

Jim Faithfull, from Brighton, said he thought the increase was "shocking".

"I'm a pensioner so every penny counts," he added.

Another resident said: "I just think it's unbelievable that they get to pass the cost on to the customer, while still giving themselves huge bonuses."

Southern Water staff handing out bottled water in Hastings in May after a water outage which lasted almost a week

Sea swimmer Heather Robins described it as "scary for hard-working people trying to find that money".

South East Water, which only deals with drinking water, will see an average increase of £55 a year, while Portsmouth Water, which manages some areas of West Sussex, will see a £41 average increase.

The cost increases overall are higher than Ofwat had proposed in July, but are lower than water companies had requested.

Last year, Southern Water wanted a potential 73% increase in bills by 2030, and in July this year Ofwat said Southern Water customers faced a £183 rise, an increase of 44%.

Southern Water CEO Lawrence Gosden said the company would be carefully reviewing the details of Ofwat's determination

Cath Jones from the Consumer Council for Water described it as an "unwelcome rise" for customers.

She told BBC Radio Sussex that investment across the country was needed but could not be at the expense of people not being able to afford an essential service like water.

Southern Water's CEO Lawrence Gosden said: "We're very conscious that a rise in bills isn't easy for our customers, essential though it is to delivering the improved performance and infrastructure that's required. So we're significantly expanding the wide range of support available for those customers who are most in need."