Letter: Some Residents Unaware of Thames Water Compensation Due

Published on: 2 Sep, 2024
Updated on: 2 Sep, 2024

From F Hughes

In response to: Residents Frustrated over Poor Progress on Petrol Leak Recovery – MP to Meet Asda Boss

In the interview on the situation in Bramley embedded in the above article the information given by Helen Melia on Thames Water compensation was incomplete (I am sure through no fault of hers) and could mislead readers.

I’m not a Thames Water customer; I pay a lump sum each month to Waverley Borough Council for all utilities and services and I have received a cheque from Thames Water.

Thanks to the very public and spirited intervention of our MP Jeremy Hunt, Thames Water:

reassessed compensation for November 2023;
added compensation for 2024;
notified eligible households of new payment of £330 to be credited to Thames Water account holders or distributed by cheque to others by July 31, 2024.

On July 4 (general election day), Thames Water team came to Bramley early morning to deliver a letter, by hand, to 1,200 eligible households (according to their team leader).

The July 4 letter from Thames water, delivered by hand – Page 1

Page 2

Page 1 of the letter was lengthy and prolix. It looked like PR. Page 2 contained a very short paragraph containing the main point of the letter. It is highly likely that many people wouldn’t have turned the page, setting the scene for the next communication failure.

On July 18, another letter from Thames Water arrived. It was dated July 11. The branded envelope was emblazoned “Go Paperless” and addressed to “The Occupier”.

Since those householders might not have received the first letter, read the back page or consider themselves to be Thames Water customers they might have thrown the letter away, as did all my 27 neighbours at Blunden Court.

Of course, this was a mistake as the letter contained individual flats’ claim reference numbers and contact details for registration of the claims.

As a result of my neighbours’ misunderstanding, I copied my letter to them but when they contacted Thames Water they were told that they were not eligible “because there are many criteria”. But that’s not true, there is only one criterion for Blunden Court: residency from November 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024.

On August 7, I received a letter confirming a cheque for £330 compensation had been despatched. I believe this is evidence that each household at Blunden Court is eligible for the same amount.

Also, it possible that the remaining 972 eligible households have found themselves in a similar position to my neighbours.