Non-payers' water may be cut off

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Thames Water has put forward plans to restrict water supplies to customers who consistently refuse to pay bills.

The firm wants the government to consider a change in the law, allowing the restrictions as a final resort against those repeatedly in debt.

On Monday, the firm announced bills could rise by 17% over the next five years to ensure funding to replace ageing water pipes in London.

Thames Water said "restrictors" would be an "absolute last resort".

Currently no water company can cut off supplies to people's homes on public health grounds.

We need to sort out the 'can't pays' who we can help, from the hardcore 'won't pays' who put two fingers up to the rest of our customers, who end up paying more Thames Water

In certain extreme cases, Thames Water wants to be able to reduce the water flow to the homes of non-payers to a trickle.

While they would be able to drink tap water and flush the toilet they would not be able to water their garden or take a shower.

Thames Water, which has just announced a pre-tax profit of £435.1m, supplies 13.6 million customers in the London and the Thames Valley area, including Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

Thames Water said in a statement: "A certain number of customers simply refuse to pay their bills.

"We are not allowed by law to cut them off, so we're drawing MPs' attention to the problem of bad debt, which is a big and growing one.

"We need to sort out the 'can't pays' who we can help, from the hardcore 'won't pays' who put two fingers up to the rest of our customers, who end up paying more."

Court order

The firm said anyone who could not pay should contact the firm to discuss how they could be helped.

"If we did use restrictors - and we hope we don't have to - it would be an absolute last resort when all else had failed, and in each case we would need to get a court order, so people could make their case."

On Monday, Thames Water described a potential rise in water bills as an "essential investment" without which it would not be able to replace 1,300 miles of pipes in London by 2010.

If regulator Ofwat approves the hike, bills for 8.5 million customers would go up from 81p to just under £1 a day.

Charities and debt advisers have criticised the proposals