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Dŵr Cymru slammed for price hike while paying bosses big bonuses

03 Feb 2023 2 minute read
UK and Welsh Lib Dem leaders Ed Davey and Jane Dodds test the quality of the River Wye

Dŵr Cymru has come under attack from the Welsh Liberal Democrats after announcing a £14 rise in their water bills for the next 12 months.

The increase means that the average bills for the ‘not-for-profit’ will reach £499 a year – the second highest in Wales and England.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats say the price hike is insulting as the business markets itself as a non-profit, while continuing to pay out large bonuses to executives and failing to address the sewage dumping crisis.

Raw sewage

Welsh Water paid three executives bonuses worth £931,000 between 2020-2021. During the same period, raw sewage was dumped into Welsh rivers 100,000 times.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have been calling on the Welsh and UK Governments to place a ban on the bonuses of water company bosses until the sewage dumping crisis is cleaned up, with funds being redirected into improving infrastructure.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds said: “It is outrageous that Welsh Water is increasing customer bills while continuing to pay out large executive bonuses, all while claiming to be a ‘non-profit’.

“Meanwhile water companies continue to dump raw sewage into our pristine rivers, lakes and seas with both the Welsh Labour Government and UK Conservative Government failing to take action.

“Rivers like the Wye, Teifi and Usk are in dire straits, this cannot continue. There needs to be an end to this duplicity.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats will continue to call for a ban on water company bonuses and for funds to be redirected into improving infrastructure. The point of a non-profit should be that this is what happens already.”


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David Smith
David Smith
1 year ago

Very difficult to understand why this ‘mutual’ is held out as a model of good practice. Profit extraction to benefit an almighty executive.

hdavies15
hdavies15
1 year ago
Reply to  David Smith

I’ve been banging on about this behaviour for ages yet it’s taken till now for a political party to wake up to this scam. Although the Lib Dems are slow to recognise the scandalous behaviour, the Tories approve of this kind of extractive misconduct, while Labour are too friendly by far with the culprits. Plaid probably don’t care because it isn’t high up their agenda, whatever that is today.

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
1 year ago

Dwr Cymru’s holier than thou’s reputation totally trashed, just another management ripoff…

Ap Kenneth
1 year ago

Peter Perry (chief executive) in 2020/21 had a annual salary of £309K and on top is awarded (by whom?) a performance related bonus of £224K. (72% of salary). Did sewage get 72% cleaner, or did he reduce costs by 72% by out sourcing more work that should be done in house. More, All Profit For Executives, than Not for Profit.

Peter Cuthbert
Peter Cuthbert
1 year ago
Reply to  Ap Kenneth

Perhap we need to ‘letter bomb’ Dwr Cymru HQ with complaints that the bonmuses are underserved whilst sewage is being dumped into rivers. If the folk at the top cannot fix that then they need to be thrown out and replaced by folk who can do it without taking more pay than they deserve.

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
1 year ago
Reply to  Ap Kenneth

That amount for a small country like Wales is obscene…What was it Labour’s Peter Mandelson said about being totally relaxed about getting filthy rich seems to still apply in the Senedd…

Last edited 1 year ago by Mab Meirion
hdavies15
hdavies15
1 year ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

Labour just love rich people as long as they spend time schmoozing with them at conferences and make donations. Just like the mafia dons in 1930’s USA.

Glen
Glen
1 year ago

Polluting rivers and seas with raw sewage is far cheaper than having to process it. Is that how they ‘earn’ their bonuses?

‘Not for profit’ company that is very profitable for some.

Frank
Frank
1 year ago

Who would believe that a man gets paid £309,000 salary and £224,000 bonus for complete and utter incompetence? During my working life if a man or woman could not do the job they would be shown the door not given an effing bonus. The world has gone mad!!

Glen
Glen
1 year ago

The chief executive of neighbouring Severn Trent last year was paid a staggering £3.9m.

And guess where most of their water comes from.

Iago Prydderch
Iago Prydderch
1 year ago

Sell water to the English they said and Wales could be rich. Oh yeah, Dŵp Cymru is not for profit.

Karl
Karl
1 year ago

Still paying out for failure, just like the bankers. Bonuses need to be earned again. Just because they haven’t got the EU on their back for dirty water dumping, doesn’t mean they should be rewarded. Must do better than low UK standards to earn a bonus

Riki
Riki
1 year ago

And giving England it at seriously reduced Price for them to go and make loads off of. We Welsh are Special!

Helen
Helen
1 year ago

We should hit them where it will hurt, in their profits.
Why are we paying so much for water rates, is it unreasonable to refuse to pay someone for polluting our rivers, environment, and our communities.

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