At least 170,000 London council tenants due back MILLIONS after being overcharged for water bills
Local authorities have set aside millions of pounds to refund renters following a landmark legal ruling
COUNCIL tenants across London could be set for a water bill windfall worth millions of pounds.
At least 170,000 renters across 14 councils could get cash back after being overcharged on their water bills for years.
It follows a landmark legal decision against Southwark Council in 2016.
Between 2001 and 2013, it was paid commission by Thames Water to charge its renters directly for water and sewage services.
But it failed to pass the money on to their tenants to help cut their bills, leaving them to pay more than they should have been.
So far it has repaid 41,000 tenants £21million and the decision could lead to as many as four million renters getting refunds across the country.
Now an investigation by the BBC has with similar deals have set aside millions of pounds too.
It sent Freedom of Information requests to 93 councils and found that eight of them - Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Enfield, Greenwich, Islington, Lambeth, Sutton and Waltham Forest - made £33million through these deals in the last six years.
Wandsworth Council has paid back £5.9million to tenants, while Waltham Forest has set aside £4.3million, and Enfield £2.2million.
In the south east, Dacorum, Slough and Waverly made £1.3million between them from 2012/13 to 2016/17.
Waverly told the BBC that it has paid back £385,000 while Slough has set aside £1.5million.
Ben Hawkins of WaterClaimsUK, a campaign group fighting for tenants to get refunds, said: "Since the Southwark Council ruling many councils and housing associations are on the back foot.
More on money
"Even the councils which have put money aside to compensate their tenants have reserved figures far below what we would expect to see in terms of the amounts owed.
"We say that’s not good enough. Our analysis shows that tenants have suffered far more loss than they are likely to be compensated for and it is clear that they will not get their full compensation without a fight."
The Sun Online has contacted all the councils asking how tenants can apply for a refund and will update the story when they respond.
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