What you need to know

Take Back Water is an alliance of activists organising for the mass non-payment of water bills. We see financial disobedience as a powerful tactic to pressure the government into bringing water services back into public ownership. We believe that every penny we pay should go toward investment in infrastructure and services – not into the pockets of water company executives and shareholders. That’s why we won’t pay.

The first step is to pledge to strike on our website – this means saying you’ll participate in withholding payment alongside everyone else who’s pledged.

We’re not asking you to stop paying now. Our goal is to maximise the pressure on water companies while minimising the impact on you. The best way to do this is to organise for thousands upon thousands of us to stop paying together, at the same time – not one by one.

Right now, we’re building toward our first strike wave – which we’ll launch when there are enough of us to seriously disrupt the finances of the water firms. After this first wave, we plan to launch escalating waves of non-payment – carefully coordinating our strategy by assessing numbers, measuring impact and adapting this tactic as needed – until we force the government to act.

Step 1: Pledge to strike

This is the most important step. We need as many people as possible to let us – and everyone else in this movement – know they’re willing to take part. Pledge to strike at takebackwater.uk and see our live pledge counter rise. This information is crucial to help us make informed decisions and gauge our collective strength.

Step 2: Spread the word

This is all about strength in numbers. Encourage your friends, family, neighbours and colleagues to pledge to strike – here’s a few ideas to get you started:

The more people involved, the stronger our movement and the safer everyone is.

Step 3: Get organised

Take Back Water is run entirely by volunteers, so we’re on the lookout for people to set up and organise local groups to inform and engage others in communities across the country. Think this could be you? Drop us a line at [email protected].

Make sure you’re signed up with Take Back Water and follow us on social media. We’ll share regular updates to keep you informed.

Water firms across England and Wales are vulnerable. The industry is more than £60 billion in debt and has a bill for more than £100 billion to start fixing its broken infrastructure – that’s why they’re hiking prices.

Some companies, like Thames Water, are even on the brink of collapse. The largest water company in the country has serious and well-publicised cash flow problems – they’ve just been forced to take out a £3 billion loan they can’t afford to pay back and are desperately searching for someone to buy them out.

It’s no secret the private water industry needs cash to bail themselves out. That’s why your water bill is going up an average of 36% over the next few years.

But what if we don’t pay? Their entire business model falls apart.

Thames Water warned it had only £39 million left by the end of March. If a million of their customers went on strike for just one month, that money would be depleted – forcing them out of business and leaving the government with no option other than to intervene.

We can do this to Thames Water, we can do this to Southern Water, United Utilities and the rest of the water suppliers. The success of this campaign is all about strength in numbers. If enough of us stop paying at the same time, our power will be immense.

You may have questions about what may happen if you stop paying your water bill. If you were to stop paying your water bill today, it’s important to know that water companies cannot legally disconnect or restrict your water supply, but they can:

However, before any water companies take any action, they must contact you twice.

We are not saying you should withhold payment yet, but we recognise that many people are unable to afford their water bill or are currently not paying in protest. Charities such as Citizens Advice or StepChange can provide information about what this may mean for you and advice if you need support.

Remember, Take Back Water is not a charity or a personal finance advice agency. What we are is a campaign with a plan to use mass non-payment to put a multi-billion pound industry out of business. It’s not about taking a stand as individuals, no matter how justified this would be. It’s about building our collective power to force the government to act.

This is Collective Action, Not a Loophole

This is not about individuals refusing to pay their bills, nor is it a way to avoid payment through tricks or hacks – there are none. Anyone claiming otherwise is misleading you.

We are withholding payment not because we don’t want to pay, but because we demand that every penny we do pay goes toward fixing the water system – not into the pockets of shareholders and executives.

Everyone can pledge to strike. This is the way to join our movement and show you’re ready to take on the private water industry.

Before the first strike, we’ll share more information about who should and should not withhold payment. But if you receive benefits, we would advise against participating in this strike. Those with more financial security should take on the risk, and those who can’t can support the strike in other ways.

When the strike starts, do not inform your water company that you’re withholding – let them figure it out for themselves. You should do what you can to avoid any repercussions for non-payment!

We will also strongly recommend that any money you withhold be saved in case payment is later required. It’s not about never paying, it’s about using our power as bill-payers to force the government to act.

Our goal is to overwhelm water companies. If hundreds of thousands of us withhold payment, for example, they cannot send bailiffs or take us all to court. But more importantly, recently we showed that collective action forces government intervention before repercussions escalate.

In 2022, an estimated 3 million people were set to stop paying their energy bills on 1 October when prices were due to soar another 80%. The government had no option other than to intervene – spending an incredible £44 billion to limit the price rise. The winter of 2022 was easier for millions of people than it would have otherwise been thanks to the Energy Price Guarantee. It also forced Liz Truss to roll back on her plans to give away billions in tax cuts to the richest in the country at a time of surging inequality, which would have made things even worse.

We know the lines the government and the water companies will use to attack our movement – they’ll say there are risks to withholding payment on your water bills, so you shouldn’t participate.

They’ll use these because we’re a threat to them, but the greater risk will always be leaving them to continue as they are now.

We’ve petitioned, marched and protested – yet the government is showing no interest in tackling the root causes of the sewage scandal and the failures of the water industry. As long as water is owned privately, the water companies will pursue profit and payouts for shareholders over investing in infrastructure.

The only way we can build power over this industry is by going after the money. If enough of us stop paying at the same time, we’ll put them out of business – and they can’t take you to court if they don’t exist.