United Utilities set to raise water and sewage bills in Oldham by £35  

Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE has slammed United Utilities bosses, branding plans to increase water bills by £35 per year “disgraceful.”

Liberal Democrats in Oldham have called for United Utilities to scrap their water bill hike, arguing that there should be “no price rises until water firms scrap insulting overseas dividends and executive bonuses”.

Councillor Sykes said, “This insulting price hike should be scrapped immediately. There should be no price rises until water firms scrap insulting overseas dividends and executive bonuses.” 

“These price hikes are the last thing that families across Oldham need right now.  During a cost-of-living crisis, it is a slap in the face to all those in our community who now have to pay more to water companies who have been pumping filthy sewage into our rivers for years.”

“It’s astonishing that the government is allowing water companies to behave like cowboys, jacking up prices with one hand while illegally dumping sewage into our rivers and streams with the other.”

Water UK has released figures which forecast water bill price changes which show that in Oldham, water bills are expected to rise by 8%, or £35, a year for 2024/25.