British utility Thames Water lodged an appeal to the country's competition regulator on Friday, beginning a process to try to raise the prices it can charge customers for the next five years and improve its chances of survival.

Thames Water has launched an appeal to allow it to increase bills by more than the regulator wants to permit. The UK's largest utility company is calling on the competition regulator to overturn a decision from the water industry regulator,

Industry regulator Ofwat has capped bill rises for the firm at 35% over the next five years. Thames Water has now urged the competition regulator to overturn the decision from the

Watford's sewerage service provider Thames Water is asking the competition regulator to allow it to charge customers even more.