Since 1st April 2017 businesses in England are now able to move water suppliers because of the deregulation of water supply. So what exactly does it mean for your business? Water deregulation in the UK is all about removing the barriers to competition and opening up the water retail market for non-domestic customers. This means that organisations in both England and Scotland will be able to shop around and choose their water supplier – no more being tied to your local supplier whether you like it or not.
This means that organisations in England will be able to shop around and choose their water supplier – no more being tied to your local supplier whether you like it or not. Scotland was the first country in the world to deregulate the water supply for businesses back in 2008.
Scotland was the first country in the world to deregulate the water supply for businesses back in 2008. Many businesses in Scotland have changed supplier since then, and it’s now estimated that businesses based in Scotland could be making savings of between 15% and 20% just by switching water suppliers.
England followed in Scotland’s footsteps on 1st April 2017 giving businesses, charities and public sector organisations in England the same freedom to choose their water supplier.
For organisations in Wales and Northern Ireland, there are currently no plans to follow England and Scotland into full deregulation of the business water market. That’s not to say there isn’t any competition in Wales, however. Since 2003 very large water consumers – those who use over 50 million cubic litres per year – have been able to choose their retail water supplier if that retailer is based wholly or mainly in Wales.