tautological casuistry guaranteed

I doubt that you would be able to get anything for lost earnings. If your bank refused to rescind their charges then I think that they would be recoverable from Thames Water. In relation to them re-imbursing you for the money that you paid as a result of their fuckup, they clearly have no right to that money and need to repay you. A court would probably consider 10 days to be a reasonable time frame for that. If they refuse to pay then you could take them to court but that would be hassle and take much longer than 10 days. I know nothing about how direct debits work. I suspect that if they have simply made a mistake and have repaid you your money, you won't get any additional satisfaction from them as a result of that. You can always call or email me if you have any problems, just so you know.