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Secure the best water & waste deal for your business.

From 1 April 2023, Prices will increase by up to 11% across the country so there’s never been a better time to get a discounted fixed term agreement. You can lock in discounts for up to three years.

In Scotland? The market is years old and switching supplier is commonplace and easy. Compare mains water discounts of up to 41% and choose a water supplier online here today. You don't need a water bill as we access your supply data from the CMA (Central Marketing Agency).

In England?  The market has been open to competition since 2017 with water and drainage supplier discounts of up to 20%. The discount is not quite as high as Scotland due to the smaller margins set between the wholesale and retail prices for the first 3 years. The Scottish market started the same way as the market was tested. There’s additional benefits to switching supplier in terms of not having to pay upfront, better customer service and consolidated billing.

Wherever you are we'll compare prices from a range of suppliers to find you the best deal.

Whether you have a supplier and meter or no meter or supplier yet, we can help.  Our comparison service and friendly advice is completely FREE.  Should you choose to switch we get a small fee from the winning supplier and it doesn't affect your price.

Review Of The English Market After Year 1

Preparing your pipes for the winter months

It’s never too early to prepare your pipes for winter. If your business is quieter than usual or still closed due to lockdown, why not take this time to do so – you might have given the place a lick of paint, why not check on your pipes at the same time?

Winter brings the cold and with that, water inside exposed pipework and garden taps can freeze. Then once frozen water turns to ice, it expands. This can cause the pressure in the pipes to increase, which could stretch and damage pipework and taps, leading to leaks and bursts when the it gets warmer. To read our post about testing for leaks click here.

If you want to prepare for the colder months here are some things you can do to protect your pipes now. 

Identifying your water pipes

Before protecting any water pipes from the elements, you should check which ones carry water. You can do this by running the water and if the pipe vibrates, then it’s a water pipe.

Cover the pipes! 

Wrap your pipes with lagging, this is the best things you can do to protect them. It’s a simple job to do, and you’ll be able to buy pipe lagging from your local DIY store all year round. Most lagging is made to fit 15mm pipe, but if you don’t know how thick your pipes are click here to check the size of your pipes using the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme tool. 

Most DIY shops are doing click and collect or delivery at the minute, too. When lagging you should protect any water pipe that could be exposed to cold weather, think warehouses, cellars, outside pipes. To fit the lagging, measure the length of lagging you need and cut down to size with some sharp scissors. Next, fit the lagging over the pipes, making sure the seam joins together. It’s recommended lagging should be secured with adhesive tape to make sure cold air can’t get to the pipe. If you want, you can also use sturdy cloth tape or insulation tape to help cover the joins and make them look lovely and neat. Lagging prevents them home freezing in the first place so it’s worthwhile taking the time to do it. 

Cover your outdoor tap

Garden and outdoor taps are also vulnerable to the elements. When a tap is frozen it can increase the risk of a burst pipe but when covered the risk is reduced. Outdoor tap covers should be available at your local DIY store. Don’t forget to lag the pipes leading up to the tap too! 

There’s no water coming through, now what?

If you’ve got no water coming through. You should ask your neighbours to see if they have water. If they’re also unable to run water, there may be a supply interruption in your area. If your neighbours can run their taps and get water, then it’s likely your pipes have frozen. If this happens you should turn off your water supply at your stop tap and begin to thaw your pipes by applying a soft heat to the pipes like a warm towel to try and fix it and get the water moving again. When thawing your pipes make sure you move the heat source along the pipe to prevent any damage or crack occurring. Turn the water supply back on at the stop tap, and check to see if your water is flowing again.  If you still aren’t getting any water through you should contact a plumper. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Water

How do I find out who my water supplier is?

Just call us on 0141 291 5004 and we should be able to tell you over the phone.

Do I have a water meter or not?

Again call us on 0141 291 5004 and we should be able to find out and tell you over the phone.

I've been contacted by my local water company and told to find a supplier..what do I do? No problem, click here and we'll get you sorted.

What is a SPID? A SPID stands for Supply Point ID. If you have a water supplier it should be printed on the bill. If you also pay for waste water, drainage etc. you will also have a second number relating to the waste on your bill ( usually its just the last 3 digits/letters that are different from the Supply ID).

I don't have a water supplier for my business as yet, what should I do? 

The chances are you are what's referred to as a "Gap Site". That basically means you're a non-household premises that is connected to the water network but not recorded as yet as being connected or having a supplier. If your premises is a Gap Site you are liable to pay water and waste charges from the date you were identified and registered as such. As with all other non-household customers, you can also choose your supplier by comparing rates above.

I don't have a water meter, how will I be charged?

You'll be charged based primarily on your business Rateable Value. We can give you best quotes by entering your details above. If your Rateable Value is high and your water usage is likely to be low ( for instance just staff toilets and sink etc.) it will probably be cheaper longer term to install a meter. Once you've selected a supplier and switched over the new supplier can arrange to install a meter which is normally free of charge.

I'm in dispute with our current water provider, can I still switch to another provider?

If there's an ongoing dispute or debt with the current water company they can object and block you from switching to another water/sewerage provider.  If it's a dispute with a previous tenant make sure you send the water company proof of the change of tenancy to prove you are not liable for a previous tenants debt. However if your business has a debt/dispute with the current water supplier or if you signed a fixed term agreement with them and you're only part way through the contract, they can block you from switching or charge a termination fee.

My water supplier seems to have changed without my consent?

If you're in England then various suppliers took over the customer accounts in certain areas after April 2017. That means the brand on your bills may have changed but you haven't signed a contract so you are free to compare water & waste suppliers and choose a new deal. You should see improvements in price, customer service and if you used to have separate suppliers of water and drainage you can have combined water and waste charges on one bill.

I'm not happy with my Scottish Water Supplier..what can I do?

You'll find some advice on where to start here.

Can I pay for water monthly ?

Yes absolutely. Every supplier on our quoting panel offers monthly payment. There's no need to pay lump sums for water or pay for a year in advance as you may have done with your current water provider.

What does a Pseudo Meter mean ? 

A pseudo SPID or pseudo meter is not a real meter or a SPID number. When there is a sewerage only supply in a premises it will have a pseudo SPID for water services. This is basically a placeholder that the data systems use to calculate charges and billing. It only exists so that the CMA ( Central Marketing Agency) can use it to say how much water is going into a premises to calculate how much is coming out. If a customer has a pseudo SPID it means they do not get water from a mains supply. A Pseudo meter is where the customer has advised  Scottish Water of the actual usage distribution at the site. For example the property is part residential and we know that the usage to the residential is approximately 10% of the overall usage to the property - a pseudo meter will be allocated to remove the residential charges from the non-domestic property bill. It isn't a real meter but more a calculation to make sure charges are allocated fairly to a customer. The sewerage will continue to be unmeasurable but can still be subject to reassessment if a customer request this service. The Market code defines the above as: "Pseudo Meter" a notional meter established at a Supply Point for Water Services or Pseudo Water Services Supply Point to facilitate the application of Re-Assessed Charges. "Pseudo Water Services Supply Point" or "Pseudo WS Supply Point" a notional Supply Point for Water Services established in order to support a Private Meter or a Pseudo Meter at a Sewerage Services Supply Point and which is not supplied with Water Services by Scottish Water. Each Pseudo Water Services Supply Point shall exist and be maintained only whilst it relates to a Private Meter, or to a Pseudo Meter at a related Sewerage Services Supply Point that is supplied with Water Services either: examples provided by the CMA of when a Pseudo meter would be used were: a.) Where it was too expensive to have a meter installed, but the customer has a large property and calculating the bill by Rateable Value isn't accurate to how much water is actually used. b.) Where a customer has an identical premises next door and water usage can be assumed to be the same as theirs. Their pseudo meter would be associated with that meter and the charges copied to the other customer's bill. This is often used in expensive or impossible to meter properties. Whenever you see comments advising that Scottish Water have submitted/provided a ‘banding offer’ this refers to a PSEUDO meter. The Yve on PSEUDO meters are split into groups: -

Group 1 – 10m3 per annum
Group 2 – 60m3 per annum
 

 See how simple it is to use our free online service to compare the best offers on mains water rates.

Will business rates re-assessments affect me?

In Scotland yes as some of your water and waste billing charges are calculated using your property Rateable Value. If your Rateable Value is up then unfortunately your water bill will go up too. This is especially true if you are on an un-metered supply at the moment as more of your bill is made up of charges calculated using your business rateable value. You may want to consider getting a meter installed to minimise the cost implications. For those businesses in Scotland lucky enough to have been re-assessed downwards then the reverse is true; you'll see a drop in your water/waste bill too.

The Scottish Government advised that from 01 April 2018, unmeasured water, sewerage and drainage charges will be calculated using the same rateable value (RV) as business rates. The changes have been designed to align the rateable value used for unmeasured water, sewerage and drainage charges with the value used to calculate business rates.

Historic RVs may have dated back to the property build date; last modification date; or 1995 Live RVs refers to the value most recently assigned by the Scottish Assessors Association (i.e. 2017 or later)

Changes are phased over three years to lessen the impact on businesses.

Each year 1/3 less of your charges will be based on the Historic RV (2017/18 rates) and 1/3 more will be based upon the new Live RV (2020/21 rates). In the majority of cases charges are lower or the same as they were before. There's more detailed information here.

How you are charged for water and waste services..
Meter based annual charge: This is an annual charge for your meter based on the meter size. 
Volumetric charge: This charge is based on the volume of water you have used as measured by your meter. The amount charged per m3 depends on the annualised volume you use. 
Sewerage Charges: This is an annual charge for the removal of waste, based on your meter size.
Meter based annual charge: This charge is based on the percentage of the volume of water passing
through your meter that is deemed to be returned to sewer. The amount charged per m3 depends on the annualised volume you use. 
Rateable Value Charges: All customers who are connected to the public water and sewerage system are charged for the cost of collecting and treating rain water system are charged for the cost of collecting and treating rain water from their property. Charges are based on the rateable value (RV) of their property (March 2000 value unless there has been a reason for a reassessment since then). 
Property Drainage Charges: Drainage charges are collected even if you are exempt from commercial rates.
Roads Drainage: As property drainage but covers a contribution to the public roads drainage system.
Estimated bills: Calculations are made based on the last actual meter reading and the current meter reading. In cases where no actual meter reading has been made within a billing period the charges will be based on an estimated reading. An adjustment will be made on the first bill after the next actual reading is made. Meters will normally be read every 6 months. 
Discount: Any discounts offered are discretionary and are subject to terms of contract.
Most water services are zero rated (Z) but some are standard rate (S) or outside scope (O).
VAT on charges: VAT is chargeable at the standard rate on water charges for all business customers whose main business activity is within divisions 1
 

Standard Industrial Classifications
Description
SIC code
1. Energy and water supply industries
2. Extraction of minerals and ores other than fuels; 
manufacture of metal, mineral products and chemicals
3. Metal goods, engineering and vehicle industries
4. Other manufacturing industries
5. Construction
Water charges for customers outwith these SICs are not liable for VAT.
VAT is only applicable on water charges. Waste water and drainage
charges have zero rated VAT liability.
The charges for all other services supplied by Business Stream have
standard rated VAT liability for all customers regardless of their SIC,
with the exception of infrastructure charges on new connections,
which are outside the scope of UK VAT.
Full details of the VAT guidelines for water and sewerage services can
be found in the HMRC Water and Sewage Services Reference Notice
701, which can be found on the HMRC website.

5 Tips for saving money on water bills

As a business, clever water management can save you significant amounts of money. You may not think much of a leaking tap, but it could be costing your organisation hundreds of pounds each year in water and sewerage costs. By taking steps to ensure that, as a company, you are being as efficient as possible in terms of your water is vital.

1. Make sure the running time of push controls isn’t too long

Check the running time of push taps and showers. For sink push taps, the ideal time is 10 seconds, while for showers it’s 30 seconds. In terms of flow rates, taps should be 4 to 6 litres per minute while showers should be between 8 and 10 litres per minute.

2. Check for dripping taps

As mentioned, this may be an obvious one, but a lot of businesses ignore that incessant drip – and it could be costing them hundreds. Over time the water lost from a dripping tap can add up. If you spot one, contact a plumber as soon as possible.

3. Check the toilets and urinals

Another loss of water which frequently goes unnoticed is within the toilets and urinals. Is water needlessly discharging between flushes? If so, this needs looking into.

4. List all other water-using equipment and do a quick spot-check

If you use hoses, dishwashers, pre-rinse sprayers or any other water-using equipment, you should frequently check for leaks and drips. It’s also important to keep a tab on when they are turned on – make sure they’re switched off when not needed, such as during production changeover or breaks.

5. Invest in signage

Visible reminders for staff to take care with water efficiency can make a significant impact if they’re easy to understand and noticeable. Water efficiency signage should be visible, invest in signage encouraging staff to report dripping taps or leaks.

Finally, ensuring you are getting the best rates on your water is vital – of course we’re going to say this as a broker specialising in value services – but no one wants to be paying more than they could be, right? Water discounts have improved over the last year so if you haven't checked for a while and would like to an up to date quote just click on a button above.

Think you might have a leak?

Is your bill higher than expected after a read has been taken? If you can’t think of a logical reason for the increased usage, chances are you have a leak. They’re not always noticeable but they can waste a lot of water (and money!) if they’re not fixed, so it’s important for both the finances of your business and the environment to take the right steps…

1. Firstly, turn off your internal stop tap (usually located under the kitchen sink)

2. Find your meter, it should be outside your property. If you’ve found one, but aren't sure it's yours, you can check the meter serial number matches that on your invoices

3. If it’s safe, open the chamber and remove the polystyrene protection

4. Is the small meter dial moving? You may have a leak. Leaks within your property boundary are your responsibility, so you’ll need to call a plumber

If there’s no change to the water meter readings throughout this whole test then no water is escaping and there is no leak, you’re probably just using more water. For tips on how to reduce your usage and costs, see above.

Wholesalers sometimes issue leakage allowances, and you should contact your supplier. In order to claim for one, you’ll need to send the following information:

• Who repaired the leak (e.g. plumber, yourself)

• The date of the repair

• A meter reading taken directly after the repair

• A meter reading taken at least 14 days later

Including prices from..