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WHAT IS THE DEREGULATION OF THE BUSINESS WATER MARKET?
The deregulation of the business water market in England happened on 1st April 2017, marking the largest change to the English water industry since its privatisation almost 30 years ago.
Previously businesses didn’t have a choice on who supplied their business water, it was all based on where they were located in the UK and which water wholesaler supplied the area. Now, since the deregulation, businesses get to choose which water retailer they want to supply their business water.
WHY HAS IT BEEN DEREGULATED IN ENGLAND?
It follows the Scottish water retail market which deregulated in 2008. Since this happened Scottish businesses have seen significant improvements (Source: Scottish Water Business Stream)
- Over £35 million water efficiency savings
- 26% increase in customer satisfaction
- £30 million worth of discounts available for customers
- Over £20 million collective savings for businesses
By deregulating the water retail market in England, the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) hope that businesses throughout England will benefit from these changes too.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A DEREGULATED BUSINESS WATER MARKET?
- It gives businesses the freedom to negotiate the best water plan for their business
- Business have more choice over their water retailer so are able to choose based on reputation and customer service
- Improved customer service by creating more structure to how complaints are resolved
- More water efficiency advice for businesses so they can understand how to reduce their water bills
- Many energy suppliers now offer all three utilities, so businesses can streamline their utilities to one supplier and save with different plans available
WHY IS THE DEREGULATION PARTICULARLY BENEFICIAL FOR MULTI-SITE BUSINESSES?
Choosing one supplier is particularly beneficial for businesses with multiple sites. Previously businesses have been given a number of water bills from different suppliers depending on where they were based in the country. Now they can consolidate their water bills to just one supplier for additional benefits:
- Save admin time by only dealing with one supplier
- Negotiate better deals for multi-site and multi-utility services
- Create better relationships with only one contact for multiple business sites
- Reduces billing errors and paperwork
If you’re a multi-site or single site business and want more information on how we could help you save on your water bills, visit our Business Water page or contact us today.