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Thames Water apologises after erroneously debiting £145,000 from customer's bank account
Overview
Thames Water has issued an unreserved apology after an incorrect meter reading and human error led to a £145,562 direct debit being taken from a north London teacher's bank account. The erroneous charge forced the customer's account into a heavy overdraft and blocked his morning payments. The funds have since been returned, and Thames Water has offered a gesture of goodwill alongside plans to introduce additional process checks.
Key points
- Thames Water mistakenly took £145,562 from the bank account of Adam Bainbridge, a north London teacher, due to an incorrect meter reading and human error.
- The unexpected charge pushed the family's account significantly into overdraft and prevented them from paying morning bills.
- Initially, the customer was only able to reach a Thames Water chatbot which stated the error would be fixed in the next payment.
- The customer contacted his bank, which quickly helped return the funds to his account.
- Thames Water has apologised personally, returned the money, offered a gesture of goodwill, and promised to introduce extra checks to prevent similar mistakes.