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Water retail competition starts in April, how can you maximize savings on water bills

Water retail competition starts in April this year which will enable your business to look at switching water supplier and negotiate a better deal on your water bills.

Please don’t jump for joy and get excited, for at least the first 3 years the potential discounts will be low and and single digit figures estimated at 1% – 3%, so don’t even consider switching water supplier just yet.

 

Besides all the licence water retailers will be giving the hard sell, promises of : –

 

  • Exceptional levels of service.

 

  • A personal approach.

 

  • Innovative products and services.

 

  • Consolidated billing.

 

  • Putting the customer first.

 

  • Customer focused.

 

  • Offering you water efficiency advice.

 

So what have they water companies been doing all of these years?

 

Many have been giving a poor service and still do, 3 months before the market opens we are battling with 4 water companies to refund overcharges! With Severn Trent Water refunding a staggering £180,000 to date on one client account alone.

If the opening of the Scottish Water Retail Market is anything to go by incorrect charging, poor service and empty promises will be the norm in the English Water Retail Market.

 

We reported only a few months ago having completed a study of a selection of clients that had switched and our water audit experts identified savings and refunds on water bills of nearly £1million, and with the English market substantially larger the situation on water company overcharging will be eye watering.

 

We spoke to one of the Scottish Water licence providers specifically regarding reducing customers water bills through water audits and examining previous water company overcharging and they said ” we are only interested in switching out more customers” which bears out the results of our water audits. Just because you switch water provider and gain a discount its does not guarantee that you are being charged correctly, now or previously before you switched.

 

Reducing water and waste water costs ” Its simple when you have the knowledge”  and after over 20 years reducing water and waste water costs and identifying historical and existing water company overcharging we have built up a vast knowledge bank which is available for you to tap into.

 

So with the English Water Retail Market opening in April 20107 how do you maximise savings on water bills? 

 

Firstly – Commission an independent water audit expert, by going direct to a water company you will not gain independent advice and have much less chance of maximising savings on water bills. Remember a water suppliers key focus will be to sign you up to a water supply contract and certainly you do not want to commission any consultancy firms that have aligned themselves with a particular water supplier, or indeed have signed a joint venture deal with a specific water company and give them undue preference.

So do your  research and place independence at the top of your list!

 

Secondly – When you have appointed your independent water audit expert formulate and agree a water strategy for example: –

 

  • Centralise water billing data.

 

  • Compile a water and waste water data base.

 

  • Complete a detailed water audit by identifying any historical water company overcharges (and undercharging).

 

  • Identify and implement “low hanging fruit” fixed and variable charges.

 

  • Water management – drive down water consumption, waste discharge, benchmark sites,m compile high users list.

 

  • Complete site surveys where applicable, compile high level reports containing recommendations for reducing water and waste water costs.

 

  • Implement recommendations.

 

  • The Scottish and English Water Retail Markets – procurement of Scottish Water and English Water supply contracts.

 

 

Maximising water bill savings even under these guidelines will of course depend on the knowledge and experience of the water audit experts you commission.

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