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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Nils Pratley Financial editor

Thames Water owner hit by second credit rating downgrade in six months

Thames Water logo on the side of a van
Thames Water is seeking to increase bills from £436 to £611 a year in the five years from 2025 to help pay for £18.7bn worth of investment. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Thames Water’s parent company has been hit by a second downgrade to its credit rating in six months, with Moody’s warning of “materially” increased risks that regulators will block the flow of dividends.

The watchdog Ofwat is considering whether to investigate Thames for a potential breach of its licence when it paid a £37.5m dividend in October, as revealed by the Guardian last week. The cash was paid from the core operating company that serves 16 million customers across London and the Thames Valley to a holding company.

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