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Sewage overcharging class action cases take next steps

by Karma Loveday

The overcharging class action cases being brought by Professor Carolyn Roberts and law firm Leigh Day against six water and sewerage companies resume today.


Professor Roberts, the proposed class representative, contends that Thames Water, Severn Trent, United Utilities, Yorkshire Water, Northumbrian Water and Anglian Water have committed, and continue to commit, abuses of a dominant position, in breach of section 18 of the Competition Act 1998, in providing misleading information to their regulators. Allegedly, this has had the effect of causing Ofwat to allow higher prices to be charged for sewerage services than would otherwise have been the case.


The Competition Appeals Tribunal has set aside four days for a hearing which it is understood will be considering whether Professor Roberts is a suitable class representative; whether the class is appropriately defined; and whether routes are available for any compensation that resulted from the case to be returned to the affected customers. This has been estimated as up to £800m in total, if the cases prove successful.


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