I heard that Thames Water is implementing a new scheme, whereby they can restrict your household's water if you refuse to pay your bill. (NB: this is not if you cannot pay your bill - they do in fact have a contact department for those who are in financial trouble, and will not take action against you if you alert them to this).
However, naturally people are complaining that it's wrong; the most common complaint being that "children should not be deprived of water, even if their parents refuse to pay their bills". Now, is it just me, or is this another case of the public expecting handouts? After all, if you have children, it is your responsibility to provide for them, and not just the government! If a parent is negligent enough to not want to pay their bill, and allow their child to go without water, this is a much bigger issue - and one that has nothing to do with Thames Water.
Before I am mobbed, let me also add that this scheme would limit those non-paying households to just enough water to flush a toilet or fill a jug, to meet public health requirements. Nobody would completely go without. Water is a human right. And for this reason, I agree that Thames Water need to be very careful in deciphering those who cannot afford to pay their bill, and those who just don't want to. I don't want to pay my water bill either, but if I want a steady flow of water whenever I feel like it, I have to pay for it. We don't complain when the electricity company threatens to keep us in the dark - I think we have just got so used to taking our water for granted.
PS - Last point - consider this, stop whinging, and pay your bills:
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