Green peer refuses Thames Water sewage fees to protest river pollution
Jenny Jones, a Green Party member of the House of Lords, has stopped paying the sewage portion of her Thames Water bill as a protest against the company's pollution of UK waterways.
Motivated by a Guardian headline showing a 60% increase in serious pollution incidents, Green Party peer Jenny Jones stopped paying the sewage component of her Thames Water account, citing ongoing raw sewage discharges and inadequate water storage. She wrote to the utility, was told the bill cannot be split, and received a punitive letter with added charges and a warning of bailiff action. Jones argues that the company's profits fund shareholder payouts and debt interest rather than fixing leaks, which lose about a fifth of England and Wales' public supply.
She calls for nationalisation, noting that public opinion supports it and that the government's £100 bn valuation is inflated. While acknowledging the personal risk, Jones says the protest is a matter of principle and hopes it will inspire broader resistance to water privatisation.
