SOUTHERN WATER PAYS CHIEF £183,000 BONUS – UK water company increases chief’s total pay rises to £764,000 after proposing 73% rise in customer bills 

Southern Water’s boss has been awarded a £183,000 bonus even as the company proposed the biggest increase in customer bills of all English water providers and was criticised by regulators for a business plan that did not meet “minimum” standards. 

Southern Water had asked regulator Ofwat to approve a 73 per cent rise in household bills over the five years to 2030 before inflation, but in proposals published last week, the regulator put forward a 44 per cent rise for Southern. It believes the company can deliver services to its 4.2mn customers in south-east England at “less cost than it requested”.  

It also told the company to rewrite its “inadequate” business plan, saying it did not meet “minimum” standards. 

In its annual report last week, Southern revealed it had awarded chief executive, Lawrence Gosden, a £183,000 bonus for the year to March 31, increasing his total pay for the year to £764,000. Stuart Ledger, chief financial officer, was given a £128,000 bonus, taking his total pay to £610,000. None of the executives were paid bonuses in the previous year.