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Water rates for small businesses

It’s essential for small businesses to get the best deal on water. It is not just the cheapest deal but a deal where your business gets good service from your water supplier.

Small businesses need to understand how to manage water consumption efficiently and effectively, using devices such as smart meters to detect leaks and other wastage.

At AquaSwitch, we want to be a resource for all things business water, whether providing advice or so that small businesses get the right deal for them.

In this guide, we will show you how to compare and switch business water suppliers and reduce your business water bill to become a water-efficient small business – saving money and helping the environment simultaneously.

How to reduce your water bill as a small business

As a small business, cash flow is incredibly important, and anything to reduce your expenses can be incredibly helpful. You can then use that saved money to help grow your business.

Thankfully, there are a few easy ways to save money as a small business on your water bill.

Using a smart meter

Using a smart water meter will save your small business money. Firstly, you’ll save money by paying for the actual amount of water you use instead of an inflated estimated bill.

If you don’t have a smart meter, your water supplier will only occasionally visit your property to check your water meter physically, and that’s only if they can find it. Estimated water charges by business water suppliers can often be inflated.

The second way this saves money is that you can spot any inefficiencies within your premises. It’s perfect for spotting leaks or any potential equipment using water inefficiently, causing your water bill to rise considerably over time.

Fixing any leaks on your property

We have touched upon this a little in the point above. But leaks are a huge problem, especially for small businesses working on tight budgets.

If a leak occurs in a pipe after your water meter, it is the responsibility of your business to pay for the wasted water and fix the pipe.

You will see an immediate reduction in the amount of water you are being billed for by fixing leaks. There are ways to detect leaks; one way is to look at your usage data. You can scan your premises to identify a leak if you’ve increased water usage.

We recommend using a leak detection company to find and repair the leak, as business water leaks can be hard to spot without the right equipment.

Making sure facilities are water efficient.

Maintaining your business’s facilities will help reduce the chance of leakages or inefficient water use. You’ll use much less water by maintaining these, considerably reducing your bill.

An excellent example is toilets that fill constantly; this will continually be wasted water throughout the day.

Replacing or fixing your toilet flush valve is simple, inexpensive and will save significant wasted water.

Installing water-saving devices.

There are a few cheap devices that can be easily installed to reduce water usage; the examples that we’ve found most beneficial to our customers are:

Cistern water savers: These devices can save 1 litre of water with every flush.
Fit tap aerators: These reduce the amount of water coming out of the tap by up to 50%.
Fit a thermostatic valve – this goes on the hot water pipe and speeds up the heating process, meaning you will use less water and energy.

Here are more tips and ideas on reducing your business water consumption.

Compare business water suppliers.

Use our business water comparison today. Comparing the different tariffs to your current supplier allows your business to identify if there’s a cheaper supplier out there.

Why should I switch water suppliers as a small business?

There are plenty of reasons to switch business water suppliers as a small business. Here are some of the more common reasons our small business customers looking for a different water supplier:

Unsatisfied with the poor customer service levels? Were you put on a gap site supply? Were you assigned a legacy supplier but have never bothered switching it? Is the cost of water from your current supplier too expensive?

The reason for switching should be established before you compare numerous quotes.

For example, if you’re looking for better customer service, look at the deals that offer improved customer service but do not offer the lowest price. Across the industry, dissatisfaction with customer service is a common problem.

But if it’s just a cost-saving exercise and customer service isn’t a priority, then the cheapest price will be suited to you.

Additional services

There are benefits of your water supplier offering additional services. For example, consolidated bills or water contingency plans are just a couple of suppliers’ additional services.

Some suppliers only offer a couple of additional services, so if you’re a business that heavily relies on water and the efficiency of the water you use. You may want to switch to a supplier that offers various services.

To see the water suppliers’ additional services, check out our guide to business water suppliers.

One consolidated bill

You may have multiple properties in different locations, even if you’re a small business. These could have different water suppliers billed separately at different prices.

It would make sense to switch water suppliers to get all the properties on the same tariff and then use the consolidated billing functionality to manage consumption and cost better. This will significantly reduce the burden for your accounts payable team as there will only be one invoice and payment to manage.

You can also save money by consolidating just two properties with one supplier, benefiting from lower business water rates offered by some suppliers.

Improved Customer Service

According to Ofwat’s State of the Market Report, dissatisfaction with current customer service levels is one of the top reasons for switching water suppliers.

Improved customer service is essential for your business, especially if you have any issues with your supply or questions about your water invoice.

Wasting time on hold to a customer services department without resolving the underlying problem is a massive time drain that small business owners cannot afford.

Can I switch water suppliers as a small business?

Put simply, yes, you can.

You can switch your water provider if your business is on non-household premises as a small business.

To switch business water suppliers, all you need to provide is the following:

The name of your business
The location of your property
Your supply point identification number (SPID)*
Contact details.

Can I switch water suppliers in my home office?

Unfortunately, working from home in a home office is still a household water supply.

The Water Act 2014 states that if the principal use of a property is a home, then the property will be a part of the regulated household market where you cannot switch water suppliers.