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How business water pricing works
Two parts to your bill, much like energy. There’s the volumetric charge, which is what you pay per cubic metre of water used. And there’s the wastewater charge, which covers the water that leaves your premises through the drains.
The retail margin is the part you can negotiate. Suppliers compete on that margin, plus a few smaller line items like meter reads, billing frequency, and account management. The wholesale cost is set regionally and doesn’t move with the supplier you pick.
Some businesses also pay surface water drainage, which is a charge for rainwater running off your roof and car park into the public sewers. If your site doesn’t actually drain into the sewer network, many warehouses and industrial units don’t, you can apply for a rebate. Most businesses don’t realise this is on their bill at all.
When switching makes sense
The threshold is lower than people expect. Even small offices using a few hundred cubic metres a year can save by moving off the default tariff their incumbent retailer applies. The saving is rarely huge in pounds-per-litre terms, but it’s recurring and it stacks across multiple sites.
Multi-site businesses tend to see the biggest impact. The retail margin negotiation matters more when it’s spread across twenty meter points than across one. Pub chains, retail multiples, care home groups, hotel groups, these are the typical sweet spot.
Bill audits are also worth running every couple of years. Wastewater calculations sometimes assume your site sends all its water into the sewer, which isn’t always accurate. Same with surface water drainage. We can flag those during the comparison if your bills suggest something’s off.
What we do
Postcode and SPID number, that’s the supply point identifier on your water bill, and we go to the retailers on our panel for quotes. They each come back with their offer on the retail margin against your usage profile.
We pull it into a side-by-side comparison. Lowest margin isn’t always the right answer if the supplier has poor billing or weak customer service, so we flag the operational stuff too.
If you want to switch, we handle the retailer paperwork. The wholesaler doesn’t change, the water doesn’t change. Only the company who sends you the invoice.
No upfront cost. The retailer pays our commission, same rate across the panel.
Frequently asked questions
Will my water be interrupted if I switch?
No. The wholesaler (the regional water company) keeps supplying the water. You’re only changing the retailer who bills you. Nothing happens to the pipes, the meter, or your supply.
What’s a SPID number?
Supply Point ID. A ten-digit number on your water bill that identifies your specific meter point. You’ll need it to get a meaningful quote. If you can’t find it, we can usually locate it from your address.
Can I switch water suppliers in Wales?
Not in the same way as England and Scotland. The Welsh market isn’t fully deregulated, so the same competitive switching doesn’t apply. We don’t currently quote on Welsh supplies.
What’s a deemed rate on water?
The default tariff your retailer applies when you haven’t signed a contract. Almost always higher than what you’d get on a negotiated agreement. If you’ve never switched, you’re likely on one.
Can I claim back overcharges from previous years?
Possibly. Water bills can be audited going back six years. If you’ve been charged for surface water drainage you don’t actually use, or if your wastewater calculation has been wrong, you can claim a refund. The savings are sometimes substantial. We can flag whether your bill looks audit-worthy when we quote.
See what your business water could cost on a new contract
Submit your postcode and we’ll come back with quotes from the retailers on our panel.