If you have a boycotting query not covered below please e-mail us at [email protected]. We will do our best to answer any queries raised by boycotters. All members of our team are volunteers helping out in their own time so please be patient if you don’t get a quick reply. There is also a Boycott Thames Water WhatsApp group where queries and issues are frequently discussed. See ‘Contact us’ page if you want to join.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my water supply be cut off?
No. Water companies cannot cut off a domestic supplier for not paying their bill. It’s against the law to do so.
Can I complain to Thames Water by e-mail?
Thames Water’s complaints page does not give an email address to use. You can try [email protected].
https://www.thameswater.co.uk/help/how-to-complain
What if Thames Water reject my complaint?
If you exhaust Thames Water’s complaints procedure, you can complain to the Consumer Council for Water, although in our experience they are useless. You can also escalate to the Environment Agency although they don’t normally deal with water customers’ issues and to Ofwat who again deal with water companies rather than water users.
How can I share tips with other boycotters?
We have a WhatsApp group you are welcome to join. See our Contact Us page for other social media links.
Am I entitled to a water meter?
Not if Thames Water claim it’s impractical to fit one. If they do, you’re entitled to an “assessed charge” which should produce the same savings in your bill as if you had a meter. You must apply for a water meter in order to get an assessed charge. See or quote Ofsted’s ruling on this if Thames is not helpful on this. They often aren’t!
Is Thames Water right to say you cannot legally refuse payment for wastewater removal?
We don’t agree. For years the water industry falsely asserted that the privatisation framework protected them from claims by individual victims of their negligence. In 2024 they were proved wrong. A judgement by the UK’s top court established exactly the opposite. Other cases are pending. We say that deliberately or recklessly discharging sewage is an offence of public nuisance.
Do other countries experience the same problems?
Chile is the only other country in the world which has an entirely privately owned water industry. Privatisation was imposed by fascist dictator General Pinochet in the 1980’s. Privatisation was undertaken in the UK by PM Thatcher in 1989, the same year she imposed a poll tax. That also ended badly. Water is a precious natural resource which all life depends on. There are compelling reasons why water is usually publicly owned.
Is boycotting legal?
It’s not a criminal offence under any circumstances to refuse to pay a water bill and you do have the right to dispute an unfair bill.
Is taking water into public ownership affordable?
Environment Secretary Steve Reed claims that water cannot be taken into public hands because it would cost too much and puts a price tag of around £100bn on renationalising water. But his figures are based on a report drawn up by the water companies themselves. Leading economists and the credit rating agency Moody’s reckon it would cost more like £15bn possibly much less.
Where can I find details of my wastewater payment?
Some customers have separate wastewater and mains water providers. For them the figure will of course be on the wastewater provider’s bill. For those who have one provider for both services the figure for wastewater is shown in section 2 of the bill
Why just refuse to pay the wastewater part of a bill?
This is possibly the easiest part of a consumer water bill to identify and dispute. If, for example, you paid a company to remove asbestos from your address no one would think you were being unreasonable if you refused to pay after discovering they were dumping it in a local playing field.
We do recommend that those who have the time and energy also raise other areas ripe for dispute. Some of these are dealt with on our templates page
Can I take effective action which falls short of boycotting?
Yes. One step that all concerned customers can take is to cancel their direct debit. There is no penalty for doing so and no financial advantage to having a direct debit.
What are the risks of boycotting?
The main risk is damage to a boycotter’s credit rating but this can be minimised. Provided a dispute is raised regarding the bill, any threat to take proceedings or refer to a credit agency can be deferred for weeks, months and in some cases years. Notice should be given by Thames of any proposed action. If you get cold feet, then pay up and start again.
I’m nervous about courts, debt collectors and my credit score. Is boycotting for me?
Boycotting isn’t about being a hero. Just cancelling the direct debit and making a complaint or query helps undermine their faltering business. Adopting our approach, even for a short time gets the message across to the government, to Thames Water and to Ofwat and other players that the public have had enough. Note how the press are using terms like ‘public outrage’ and ‘backlash’ far more often now.
How far you want to take it is up to each individual. Some of us have been boycotting for years without any adverse repercussions. But if you start getting cold feet our advice is to pay up. You can always start again, perhaps with a new ground of complaint.
Can private water companies be improved?
No chance! Successive governments have tried to improve things through regulation over the last r 35 years but things just get worse. You only have to look at Thames Water’s attempts to avoid paying fines for failure and secure civil immunity (protection from criminal prosecution for bosses who’s failures break environmental laws) to see they are too big to control.
In spite of Thames Water continuing to run rings around regulation and hiking our bills, the Secretary of State for the Environment Steve Reed appears totally reluctant to intervene. So much so that many Thames boycotters are now withholding payment until Reed takes our failing water company into Special Administration and renationalises it.