Wessex Water Executives Receive £50,000 in Un disclosed Extra Pay Amidst Bonus Ban
Chief executives Ruth Jefferson and Andy Pymer of Wessex Water received an additional £50,000 each from their parent company, YTL group, despite the government's ban on bonuses for bosses at suppliers guilty of pollution. The payments were made through a holding company, Wessex Water Ltd, which is part of the complex corporate structure of YTL.
The news comes as water companies face scrutiny over executive pay following the government's crackdown on bonuses for polluted water suppliers. Last year, six water companies were banned from paying bonuses due to past environmental breaches.
Jefferson and Pymer received £24,000 and £27,000 respectively in the year to June 2025, according to a spokesperson for YTL group. The payments were not disclosed in Wessex Water's accounts, which only reported a total of £440,000 as Ruth Jefferson's pay and £249,000 as Andy Pymer's.
The lack of transparency over executive pay has raised concerns among politicians and regulators. Sarah Dyke, Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, described the payments as "another example of the lack of transparency" by water companies.
YTL initially declined to reveal the source of the extra payments but eventually acknowledged that they came from Wessex Water Ltd. The company claimed that the payments were not bonuses but rather a form of emoluments for services to other group companies, which are disclosed in their financial statements.
However, critics argue that this explanation is unclear and fails to address concerns over transparency. MPs and Ofwat, the regulator of water companies, have already raised questions about the lack of clarity surrounding executive pay from parent companies.
The revelations come as Wessex Water faces criticism for its handling of environmental issues, including a sewage pumping station failure that killed more than 2,000 fish six years ago.
Chief executives Ruth Jefferson and Andy Pymer of Wessex Water received an additional £50,000 each from their parent company, YTL group, despite the government's ban on bonuses for bosses at suppliers guilty of pollution. The payments were made through a holding company, Wessex Water Ltd, which is part of the complex corporate structure of YTL.
The news comes as water companies face scrutiny over executive pay following the government's crackdown on bonuses for polluted water suppliers. Last year, six water companies were banned from paying bonuses due to past environmental breaches.
Jefferson and Pymer received £24,000 and £27,000 respectively in the year to June 2025, according to a spokesperson for YTL group. The payments were not disclosed in Wessex Water's accounts, which only reported a total of £440,000 as Ruth Jefferson's pay and £249,000 as Andy Pymer's.
The lack of transparency over executive pay has raised concerns among politicians and regulators. Sarah Dyke, Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, described the payments as "another example of the lack of transparency" by water companies.
YTL initially declined to reveal the source of the extra payments but eventually acknowledged that they came from Wessex Water Ltd. The company claimed that the payments were not bonuses but rather a form of emoluments for services to other group companies, which are disclosed in their financial statements.
However, critics argue that this explanation is unclear and fails to address concerns over transparency. MPs and Ofwat, the regulator of water companies, have already raised questions about the lack of clarity surrounding executive pay from parent companies.
The revelations come as Wessex Water faces criticism for its handling of environmental issues, including a sewage pumping station failure that killed more than 2,000 fish six years ago.
I don't think it's fair to single out these two execs tho... £50k is still a pretty penny 
. And what if they were just trying to incentivize good performance? 
The lack of transparency is definitely a concern, but do we really know the full story here? 
Maybe YTL group was legit paying them for services and it's not just about bonuses? 
It's all a bit grey, if you ask me... 
... but come on, £50k is a pretty big chunk of change 
. And what's with the dodgy accounting and trying to spin it as "emoluments"? Sounds like corporate doublespeak to me 
. I mean, water companies are already getting a pretty sweet deal from the government in terms of regulation... they should be able to cough up some cash for their own mistakes without hiding behind some fancy financial veil 
. seems like ytl just wants to keep its execs happy with fat cheques while the company's facin criticism for its environmental record... no wonder ppl are gettin skeptical of these big corps 
... £50k extra for just doing their job? It's just not right, you know? I mean, what if there were other water companies making similar payments and we're just not finding out about it? And then there's the fact that they weren't disclosed in Wessex Water's accounts... how are we supposed to trust them now?
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. I get that there might be some technicality around the payment being from a holding company, but come on, transparency is key here 
. If they can't even be honest about their own execs' pay, how can we trust them to make decisions for the good of the community? And to add insult to injury, these payments are made at a time when water companies are already being scrutinized over their environmental record... it just doesn't sit right with me 
I'm literally so fed up with these water companies and their CEO's getting away scot-free! £50,000 each?! Are you kidding me?! 
It's just another example of the corporate greed and lack of accountability that's been plaguing our country for far too long. And now they're trying to spin this as some kind of "emoluments" thing? Give me a break! 
These people need to be held to account for their actions, not fawned over with fat paychecks like they're some kind of royalty. It's just so frustrating and infuriating at the same time 
It's like we're paying them to fix the problems they created in the first place. I'm not buying it.
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. And to think they're gettin paid while the people who work for them, like the folks at Wessex Water, are dealin with the consequences of pollution 
I'm all for fair compensation and transparency, especially when it comes to our water suppliers 
️. And to make matters worse, they're hiding this stuff from us while they face scrutiny over environmental issues... it's just not right 
and I'm thinking, have you ever noticed how some animals are just so zen? Like, they don't even stress about anything! And it makes me think, why can't we humans be more like them? We're always so worked up about something, whether it's politics or our water bills 
. I mean, come on, £50,000 is a lot of money, but is it really worth all the drama? 
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