According to legal and environmental experts, Thames Water significantly underreported the number of pollution incidents which took place from its water and sewerage plants over a period of years. As a result, millions of household customers could be due compensation.

What is this claim about?

According to a lawsuit, Thames Water provided misleading information to The Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat). The claim alleges that the water company manipulated pollution incident data, allowing them to charge customers higher prices. This is because water companies are often allowed to raise household bills as a reward for good environmental performance. But, had the true extent of Thames Water’s pollution been known, customers would have paid less.

The future of the lawsuit will be heard at a hearing later this year. If the Competition Appeal Tribunal lets the case go-ahead, anyone affected by this claim will not need to sign up. Instead, they will automatically be included in the claim unless they choose to opt out.

Thames Water serves more than 11 million households across London and south-east England, and they could all be due compensation if the case is successful. The claim is estimated to be worth at least £159.1 million.

If you have paid for wastewater services provided by Thames Water between 1 April 2020 and 4 March 2024, you may be entitled to compensation.