Thames Water gives London pensioner £500 after massive bill

Estelle Mendoza used to work for the Ministry of Food, which was set up in World War Two

A bedridden 98-year-old woman whose water supplier said she had consumed the equivalent of one million cups of tea in six months has received £500 as a goodwill gesture.

Estelle Mendoza's monthly Thames Water charge increased from £33 to £215 after the supplier suggested she had used 255 megalitres of water.

Her son, Lawrence, said: "It's a joke. If we had been delayed on an aircraft, we would have got more."

Thames Water has apologised.

The spiralling charges were caused by a jump in smart meter readings due to a leak at her house in Gants Hill, east London, which has now been fixed.

Mrs Mendoza is considered a vulnerable customer because she has dementia and requires round-the-clock care.

• Elderly woman's water bill equivalent to 1m teas

Mr Mendoza warned "other people are going to go through the same experience that they shouldn't have to".

An average person uses 152 litres of water a day, with an average annual charge for water and sewage of £408 according to WaterUK.

A Thames Water spokesperson said: "We're really sorry for Mrs Mendoza's experience and would like to apologise for the service she received.

"We've since been in regular contact with Mrs Mendoza's son and we fixed the leak on her property on 17 October.

"We then compared her normal water use and applied a leak allowance to her account as well as a goodwill gesture. We apologise for any distress caused."

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