Southern Water wants to increase its bills by £436 a year, but is not expected to get approval.
  • thr0w4w4y2@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    2·
    6 months ago

    so the shareholders pull their funds, the water companies struggle and the taxpayer has to step in to bail them out.

      • thr0w4w4y2@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        1·
        6 months ago

        yes that would be awesome, but the problem is that “make it publicly owned” means “buy out their shares” which is giving them a bailout, plus “service all the debt the company is in” which is another bailout, before you’ve even got started with fixing the horrible lack of investment over many years

        • IchNichtenLichten@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          6 months ago

          but the problem is that “make it publicly owned” means “buy out their shares” which is giving them a bailout

          The shares would be almost worthless.

          plus “service all the debt the company is in” which is another bailout

          Nope, the company would be wound up.

        • ephemeral_gibbon@aussie.zoneEnglish
          2·
          6 months ago

          Buying the shares is cheap if the company is worth nothing /goes bankrupt from fines for their environmental breaches