There are many reasons for businesses to consider switching water supplier. It may be something you think of after receiving a large bill, or if your supplier finds itself in trouble with the regulator Ofwat over a pollution incident. But that is not all.
An important long-term priority will be water conservation as the climate warms and demand for water increases. Water stress is already an issue in some parts of the UK and the situation may become more acute without drastic action.
True, the government is seeking to generate momentum in the construction of new reservoirs, with nine planned for the Midlands, east and south of England. However, as was seen last summer, prolonged dry spells mean both new and old reservoirs running low.
Why Should Your Business Try To Save Water?
Right now, those dry and sunny days seem a long way off after a very wet January, followed by what the Met Office calls a ‘blocked weather pattern’ that has led to continual rain and numerous flood warnings through early February.
January was notable for bringing one of the wettest opening months of any year on record for many regions, particularly areas further south and east.
- The overall level of precipitation across the UK was 17 per cent higher than the long-term average
- The south of England had its sixth wettest January since 1836
- Cornwall had its wettest January ever and Devon its second wettest
- Northern Ireland had its wettest January in 169 years
- By contrast, other western areas, such as north Wales, the north west of England and the western half of Scotland had drier than normal Januarys.
With such wet weather, it would be very easy for business customers, especially those in the normally drier south, to pay little or no heed to questions of water conservation. At times like this, it can often feel like the rain is endless.
However, this is no different from only thinking about how much you pay when the bill arrives, or how good (or bad) your supplier’s environmental record is when there is a pollution incident. You should not wait until the next drought to think about saving water.
How Can Your Business Water Supplier Help You To Conserve Water?
A water company that does this can take various steps to help you. These can include:
- Repairing pipes and infrastructure to minimise leaks
- Installing storage tanks to enable you to keep extra water in storage for dry periods
- Establishing a well that you can access
Such actions demonstrate a clear commitment to enabling you to deal with the problems of the future, one which, as last summer showed, are not a prospect for years ahead, but could be relevant within a few months.
Indeed, the extremes of weather that have been increasingly apparent across the UK in recent years are a strong indicator that both excessively wet spells and prolonged dry periods could become a more regular feature of the British weather.
For example, in the last year:
- 2025 was both the warmest and sunniest year on record in the UK
- Spring 2025 was both the driest and sunniest on record, with the season also being sunnier than all but three summers since 1910.
- Summer 2025 was the warmest in record, including the warmest June and fifth warmest July.
- The period from January to July 2025 was the driest since 1929
- Of the four seasons ending in 2025, only Autumn saw above average rainfall
How Can Your Company Prepare For Changing Weather?
These extremes present some opportunities as well as threats. For example, as well as the broader reservoir programme designed mainly to provide more potable water for businesses and households, new storage reservoirs might be built to divert and capture flood water.
A move like this could have the dual benefit of reducing flooding while also helping to store up extra water in autumn and winter to alleviate subsequent summer droughts.
Such undertakings might be a major national infrastructure project, perhaps on a bigger scale than the current reservoir construction drive. However, in the meantime it is important to consider what your water supplier is doing to plan for the future themselves.
From your own business perspective, this is every bit as important as how much you are charged for your bill. There would be no point paying less for an inferior service that leaves you short of water when you need it.
If you do want to change, we have a simple system that can help you to compare supplier prices and take you through the process without difficulty and complexity, ensuring that there is no major barrier to your business finding the best deal, not just now, but for the future.
