Thames Water Barred from Charging Customers to Plug Pension Deficit

Thames Water, the largest water company in the UK, is currently facing significant financial challenges after the regulator, Ofwat, rejected its proposal to charge customers £156.6 million to address a deficit in its pension scheme. The company, which provides services to 16 million customers in London and the Thames Valley, had sought to transfer the costs of this pension shortfall onto customer water bills. However, Ofwat’s provisional decision emphasizes that the responsibility for covering the pension deficit should rest entirely with the company’s management and shareholders.

This situation adds to the pressure on Thames Water, which is already burdened with £15.2 billion in debt and has faced scrutiny over issues such as sewage discharges, leaky pipes, and dividend payments. The rejection of the pension plan comes at a critical time for the company, as it attempts to avert a situation where the government may need to intervene and manage its administration. Thames Water has warned that it could run out of cash by June 2024 and is currently under special measures from Ofwat due to a breach of its operating license.

Earlier this year, Thames Water’s shareholders decided against a £500 million emergency investment, citing Ofwat’s stringent regulations that rendered the company “uninvestable.” The management team, led by CEO Chris Weston, is now tasked with finding ways to raise funds to maintain operations and support investment plans. If they are unable to secure new funding, the company could enter a special administration process overseen by the government, effectively leading to the nationalization of the UK’s largest water provider.

The pension issue originates from the Thames Water Pension Scheme (TWPS), a defined benefit scheme valued at over £1 billion, which closed to new members in 2021 and has a deficit of £152 million. Thames Water had aimed to eliminate this deficit by 2027. Ofwat has indicated that Thames Water has been aware since the 2009 price review that the financial responsibility for pension deficits lies with the company’s management and shareholders.

As Thames Water attempts to recover costs from customers—responsibilities that have been theirs since 2009—Ofwat believes the company has not met its minimum expectations. Unless Ofwat changes its stance in its final decision due in December, Thames Water may need to rely on its cash reserves or seek additional funds from shareholders. The situation has sparked criticism, including from Cliff Roney, a retired Thames Water employee and GMB union representative, who expressed frustration over the company’s request for customers to cover the pension deficit. The controversy has been further fueled by the revelation that Thames Water’s board approved a £150 million dividend just hours before the shareholders’ decision to withdraw the emergency investment, prompting Ofwat to review the payout. As Thames Water navigates these financial difficulties, it faces a challenging path to restore stability and rebuild trust with customers and regulators.