Did you know that there are 14 main water companies in England? Do you know how they differ and which areas they serve? Did you also know that there are a number of smaller water companies operating in the UK that cover specific local areas?
That’s a lot of questions, but we’re going to take you through which water companies serve what regions, as well as explain how some of these organisations differ. All of this will be especially useful information if you’d like to switch water suppliers.
Water only vs. water and wastewater companies
In England, there are five companies that only provide water services. That means they don’t deal with wastewater like sewage.
These five water-only companies are: Affinity Water, Portsmouth Water, South East Water, South Staffs Water and SES Water.
In addition, there are nine companies that offer both water and wastewater services in England: Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, Severn Trent Water, South West Water, Southern Water, Thames Water, United Utilities Water, Wessex Water and Yorkshire Water.
Who provides your water service really?
Here’s where it gets really confusing though, in some regions of the country the name of the company that appears on your bills will be different to the organisation actually providing the service.
For example, if you live in Bristol or the surrounding areas, the company on your bills will be Bristol Water, even though the underlying service is delivered by South West Water.
Similarly, in east Dorset and west Hampshire, your bills will be sent out by Bournemouth Water, but it’s South West Water providing the service. There are various examples around the country where this is the case, including in the south-east and north-east of England.
Meanwhile, in many parts of the country, the company who is on your bills is also the one providing the underlying service. You can find out which is applicable for you on the Ofwat website if you’d like to learn more.
What does that mean if I want to switch business water providers?
For non-domestic water customers, the rules around switching suppliers are different to residents. That means you have many more options when it comes to choosing who is providing your water and sewage services.
These smaller companies aren’t listed among the main water companies in Ofwat’s website though, which can make it hard to know precisely what your options are in any given area. The good news is that, as a business water user, you don’t have to stick with one of the big players if you don’t want to.
However, it’s important to note that the retail water market only reopened in England in 2017, which means that it’s less than ten years old and new suppliers are coming online all the time. Therefore it can be tricky to not only know what your options for switching are, but also how reliable some of these newer players might be.
That’s why a switching service can be invaluable, because it will help you navigate this landscape and give you a trusted guide who can provide advice about the most appropriate water supplier for your business’ needs.
How easy is it to change water suppliers?
If you use a service like ours it can be incredibly easy to change to a more suitable business water supplier. In fact, the whole process can be completed within a month.
We advise our clients to build up a picture of their business water usage before they start searching for a new provider, as this helps to ensure that whichever company they pick is appropriate for serving their needs.
What are the benefits of switching business water suppliers?
The main reason many of our clients want to switch water suppliers is to save money – and indeed many of them not only lower their monthly bills but also receive a refund in the process!
However, this is far from the only reason to shop around for your water services. For instance, you might find a water retailer that has a much better understanding of your industry and therefore your needs as a business in this area.
Or it might be that your current provider isn’t giving you the level of service you want, while a different water supplier might have a stronger customer service team.
It’s also important to note that you have time to think about your decision. Even if you do switch, you will always have a seven-day cooling-off period during which you could return to your old supplier if you change your mind for any reason.
