Latest news with #DavidHenderson
Scottish Sun
28-04-2025
- Climate
- Scottish Sun
Extreme wildfire warning issued for Scotland IN DAYS as public told to be on alert
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Much of Scotland is at an "extreme" risk of wildfire in the coming days, fire chiefs have warned. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said there is a "very high" wildfire risk on Monday and Tuesday in north-east, central and southern Scotland. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Fires raging across Scotland earlier this month Credit: Brian Finn 3 Emergency services tackled wildfires in the Galloway Forest Park area 3 Helicopter teams worked to extinguish the blaze Credit: David Henderson This climbs to an "extreme" risk in the same areas between Wednesday and Saturday before returning to a "very high" risk on Sunday. The warnings follow large scale wildfires in Scotland during dry and sunny weather earlier this month. A wildfire on Arran burned for five days and devastated part of Glen Rosa while elsewhere campers were rescued by helicopter from a blaze in Galloway Forest Park. The SFRS and the Scottish Wildfire Forum are urging the public to avoid lighting fires outdoors during the warning period. SFRS wildfire lead Michael Humphreys said: "We are asking the public to exercise extreme caution and avoid using anything involving a naked flame. "At this time of year in early spring, we typically have a large volume of dead, bone-dry vegetation across large areas of countryside. "This essentially acts as a fuel for fire. "There are currently vast areas that are tinder dry and vulnerable, which provides all the ingredients for fire to take hold and spread. "Many rural and remote communities are hugely impacted by wildfires, which can cause significant damage. "Livestock, farmland, wildlife, protected woodland and sites of special scientific interest can all be devastated by these fires as can the lives of people living and working in rural communities. Incredible drone footage shows massive wildfire burning through Scots beauty spot near Glasgow "Human behaviour can significantly lower the chance of a wildfire starting, so it is imperative we all act responsibly while enjoying the outdoors especially over the coming days of predicted sunshine. "By following some simple but key advice, we can significantly reduce the risk of wildfire occurring." SFRS advises people to always follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Millions of Londoners face staggering £200-plus rise in water bills this year
Millions of Londoners are facing a staggering rise in their water bills from April 1. The 16 million customers served by beleaguered Thames Water will see a 31% hike within weeks, with average annual bills soaring to £639. That is an eye-watering £203 more than in 2024/25, and will deal a serious blow to households already struggling with the cost of living. The rise was confirmed by Water UK on Thursday, with Londoners already receiving emails telling them bills could rise by £19 a month. Households in England and Wales will see an average £123 or 26% increase to their yearly water bill from April 1, the final figures show. The Thames Water bill hike is nearly double the average across the country. However millions of households face even steeper percentage rises, with Southern Water customers told they will see a 47% increase, and Hafren Dyfrdwy and South West Water bills rising by 32%. Bournemouth Water customers will also see a 32% increase to their bills. The increase will see the average yearly Southern Water bill reach £703. Other factors, such as whether a customer is metered and how much water they use, means the bill changes will vary considerably for customers depending on their circumstances. The increases are higher than those announced by Ofwat in its new five-year price limits for firms just before Christmas as they include inflation. The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) said stronger and fairer support was urgently needed to protect struggling households from the largest rise in water bills since the privatisation of the water industry 36 years ago. Water UK said firms would invest around £20 billion from April 2025 to March 2026, the highest ever level of expenditure in a single year, and the first in a five-year programme of investment worth £104 billion up to 2030. The investment would help to build nine new reservoirs and nine new water transfer schemes, upgrade the capacity of 1,700 wastewater treatment works to reduce pollution and improve and protect more than 15,000 kilometres of rivers across England and Wales. Firms would also support more than three million households with their bills as part of a £4.1 billion package over the next five years. Water UK advised customers should contact their water company directly to see what help was available if they were concerned. It said that following the latest increases, water bills were now only around 5% higher than they were in 2010 in real terms. Water UK chief executive David Henderson said: 'We understand increasing bills is never welcome and, while we urgently need investment in our water and sewage infrastructure, we know that for many this increase will be difficult. 'Water companies will invest a record £20 billion in 2025-26 to support economic growth, build more homes, secure our water supplies and end sewage entering our rivers and seas.' CCW said customers continued to face a postcode lottery of social tariff schemes, which meant the level of support and who was eligible varied considerably across England and Wales. CCW chief executive Mike Keil said: 'These rises are the largest we've seen since privatisation and will heap considerable pressure on millions of customers who are already having to make difficult choices. 'Customers want to see investment in improving services and cleaning up our rivers but that can't come at an unbearable cost to struggling households. 'Around 2.5 million households are already in debt to their water company and there is a danger that number will grow unless some companies show more ambition around financial support.' The increases come amid high levels of sewage spills and under-investment in pipes, sewers and reservoirs over the last decade. Despite this, United Utilities and South West Water's parent company Pennon have already said they will raise dividend payouts to shareholders this year so that they increase in line with inflation. James Wallace, the chief executive of campaign group River Action, said: 'We're being told to celebrate the 'record investment' of water companies, but in reality, it is the public that will pay the price for their decades of neglect. Instead of fixing crumbling infrastructure, water companies have saddled themselves with billions in junk debt, leaving us with sewage-choked rivers, and paying extortionate interest rates through bill hikes. 'Communities and customers won't be fooled by this web of lies. It's time for broken utilities like Thames Water to be put into Special Administration and refinanced to operate for public benefit not investor return. 'Meanwhile, the Water Commission must end the failed privatisation experiment and reform the broken regulators to ensure a sustainable and resilient water and sewage system for future generations. Rivers do not need economic growth, they enable it.'
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK Households Set for Record Hike in Water Bills From April
(Bloomberg) -- Average UK water bills are set to rise 26% from April, the biggest ever increase for households and business still feeling the sting of a cost-of-living crisis. Trump's Federal Funding Pause Threatens State Financials Housing Aid Uncertain After Trump's Spending Freeze Memo Manhattan's Morning Commute Time Drops With New Congestion Toll US Students' Reading Scores Drop to Worst in More Than 20 Years Texas HOA Charged With Discrimination for Banning Section 8 Renters The industry association Water UK announced details of the hike, which is adjusted to inflation, following industry regulator Ofwat's final price determinations in December. The average bill nationally will increase by £123 ($152.93) from April 1 to £603 per household, a record level. The hike poses a challenge to a government elected on a promise of bringing down the cost of living for working people. Also coming on April 1 is a probable increase in the energy price cap, for a third quarter and a rise in the rate of National Insurance contributions for employers that's likely to hit jobs and pay. These factors risk pushing inflation back up this year, above 3% according to economists. Water companies and the government both say higher bills are necessary to fund infrastructure upgrades, following a groundswell of public ire over chronic leaks and sewage spills. 'We understand increasing bills is never welcome and, while we urgently need investment in our water and sewage infrastructure, we know that for many this increase will be difficult,' David Henderson, Water UK Chief Executive, said. Last December, Ofwat said it will allow companies to spend as much as £104 billion on upgrades over the five-year period, funded primarily by bill increases. The ruling, covering the 2025-2030 period, ended months of speculation about how utilities will fund their biggest investment programs since privatization. 'People understand that the water sector needs investment,' Mike Keil, chief executive of Consumer Council for Water, said in a parliament hearing last week. 'Bills are going up but people need to see some returns for it, otherwise it would be very damaging for the sector and the sector can't afford any more damaging.' The UK water industry has been roiled by crises, with the country's biggest supplier Thames Water Utilities Ltd. on the brink of running out of money, and others not far behind. The average bill for Thames, which serves a quarter of England's population, will rise by £151. 'We recognise the challenge that some customers are facing with increasing financial pressures and understand that the water sector is not the only area where customers are faced with rising costs,' David Black, Ofwat's Chief Executive, said. Indy Pass, the Anti-Vail Seasonal Ski Ticket, Is Gaining Fans What America's Tech Billionaires Really Bought When They Backed Donald Trump Musk Pitches New Narrative as Tesla Sales Fall Forget Factories, Small US Towns Want Buc-ee's Gas Stations The CDC Won't Give the Public a Full Picture of Fertility Treatment Risks ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Annual water bill to rise by average £123 from April 1
Households in England and Wales will see an average £123 or 26% increase to their yearly water bill from April 1, final figures show. The rise, confirmed by industry body Water UK, will take the average water and wastewater bill from £480 to £603 for the next year alone. This equates to an increase of around £10 a month, from £40 to £50. North West water company United Utilities has confirmed bills will rise by 32 per cent over the coming five years. The Warrington-headquartered company serves about seven million customers across Greater Manchester and Liverpool and said they had agreed the bill increases negotiated with regulator Ofwat last year. READ MORE: Buckingham Palace announces royal baby news after premature arrival with adorable first photo READ MORE: Plumber's simple trick to stop 'wasted hot air' escaping from radiators to 'channel warmth' around your home However millions of households face even steeper rises, with Southern Water customers told they will see a 47% increase, Hafren Dyfrdwy and South West Water bills rising by 32%, Thames Water customers warned they will see a 31% hike and Yorkshire Water raising bills by 29%. Bournemouth Water customers will also see a 32% increase to their bills. The increase will see the average yearly Southern Water bill reach £703. Other factors, such as whether a customer is metered and how much water they use, means the bill changes will vary considerably for customers depending on their circumstances. The increases are higher than those announced by Ofwat in its new five-year price limits for firms just before Christmas as they include inflation. The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) said stronger and fairer support was urgently needed to protect struggling households from the largest rise in water bills since the privatisation of the water industry 36 years ago. Water UK said firms would invest around £20 billion from April 2025 to March 2026, the highest ever level of expenditure in a single year, and the first in a five-year programme of investment worth £104 billion up to 2030. The investment would help to build nine new reservoirs and nine new water transfer schemes, upgrade the capacity of 1,700 wastewater treatment works to reduce pollution and improve and protect more than 15,000 kilometres of rivers across England and Wales. Firms would also support more than three million households with their bills as part of a £4.1 billion package over the next five years. Water UK advised customers should contact their water company directly to see what help was available if they were concerned. It said that following the latest increases, water bills were now only around 5% higher than they were in 2010 in real terms. Water UK chief executive David Henderson said: 'We understand increasing bills is never welcome and, while we urgently need investment in our water and sewage infrastructure, we know that for many this increase will be difficult. 'Water companies will invest a record £20 billion in 2025-26 to support economic growth, build more homes, secure our water supplies and end sewage entering our rivers and seas.' CCW said customers continued to face a postcode lottery of social tariff schemes, which meant the level of support and who was eligible varied considerably across England and Wales. CCW chief executive Mike Keil said: 'These rises are the largest we've seen since privatisation and will heap considerable pressure on millions of customers who are already having to make difficult choices. 'Customers want to see investment in improving services and cleaning up our rivers but that can't come at an unbearable cost to struggling households. 'Around 2.5 million households are already in debt to their water company and there is a danger that number will grow unless some companies show more ambition around financial support.' The increases come amid high levels of sewage spills and under-investment in pipes, sewers and reservoirs over the last decade. Despite this, United Utilities and South West Water's parent company Pennon have already said they will raise dividend payouts to shareholders this year so that they increase in line with inflation. James Wallace, the chief executive of campaign group River Action, said: 'We're being told to celebrate the 'record investment' of water companies, but in reality, it is the public that will pay the price for their decades of neglect. Instead of fixing crumbling infrastructure, water companies have saddled themselves with billions in junk debt, leaving us with sewage-choked rivers, and paying extortionate interest rates through bill hikes. 'Communities and customers won't be fooled by this web of lies. It's time for broken utilities like Thames Water to be put into Special Administration and refinanced to operate for public benefit not investor return. 'Meanwhile, the Water Commission must end the failed privatisation experiment and reform the broken regulators to ensure a sustainable and resilient water and sewage system for future generations. Rivers do not need economic growth, they enable it.'
