Business Water Suppliers

Business water suppliers

Business water suppliers provide water and sewerage services to 1.5 million properties across England and Scotland. A business water supplier will read your water meter twice a year and bill your company for its water supply.

There are currently over 20 business water suppliers, competing to provide the best service at the lowest possible price. This guide aims to help you navigate the confusing world of business water suppliers.

Here are some quick links to get you started:

What do business water suppliers do?
Who is my business water supplier?
An up-to-date list of business water suppliers
Find out more about the biggest business water suppliers

Business Water suppliers 2023

The following table shows a list of licenced business water suppliers in Britain with the services they provide.

Click here if you’re looking for Scottish business water suppliers.

The ultimate guide to business water suppliers:

• Business Stream
• Castle Water
• Clear Business Water
• ConservAqua
• Everflow
• First Business Water
• Pure Utilities
• SES Business Water
• Source for Business
• Water Plus
• Water2Business
• Wave

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About:

Business Stream has 14+ years in the water market and has been supplying water and wastewater services to UK customers in various sectors since 2006.

Business Stream is the oldest business water supplier in the market. Upon deregulation of the Scottish Water market in 2008 Business Stream was given the role of the default business water supplier for Scotland.

Upon deregulation of the English market Business Stream was allocated the supply of non-household customers from Southern Water.

Business Stream has recently launched their ‘Making a Positive Difference’ vision as a way to do the right thing for its people, customers, environment and community.

Where:

Scotland and Southern England, including Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Current licences:

Licence held to supply non-households in England and Scotland for both water and sewerage services.

Additional services:

• Water network connection
• Water efficiency services
• Water-saving devices
• Consolidated billing

Links:

Website: www.business-stream.co.uk
New customer sign-up: www.business-stream.co.uk
Trustpilot: uk.trustpilot.com/review/

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About:

Castle water was founded in 2014 in anticipation of the deregulation of the English water market. On 1 April 2017 when the English market was opened up, Castle Water was appointed as the business supplier for Thames Water and Portsmouth Water customers.

Castle further extended its already large base of non-household customers through the acquisitions of Cobolt Water in Scotland, Invicta Water in the South East and a merger with Affinity for Business from the East of England.

Castle Water is now one of Britain’s largest water suppliers. Castle Water is not associated with a British water infrastructure operator, unlike most water suppliers on this list.

Where:

Portsmouth, the Thames Basin, London, East of England, South East of England.

Current licences:

Licence is held to supply non-households in England, Scotland and Wales for water and sewerage services.

Additional services:

• Consolidated billing
• Water efficiency services
• Water network connection
• Smart Meters

Links:

Homepage: www.castlewater.co.uk
New customer sign-up: www.castlewater.co.uk
Customer services: 01250 718700
Trustpilot: uk.trustpilot.com/review/

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About:

Clear Business Water is a water retailer in England and Scotland. It is the leading independent water provider in Scotland and has recently moved into England’s water market.

Clear Business has not been allocated any customers from the pre-deregulation local monopolies; it has a small but fast-growing customer base.

Clear Business is a small business specialist focussing not just on water but on other utilities and services such as business energy comparison, business gas comparison, comparing business electricity prices and compare business electricity, business broadband and commercial insurance.

Where:

England and Scotland.

Current licences:

Licence held to supply non-households in England and Scotland for both water and sewerage services.

Additional services:

• Consolidated Billing
• Smart Meters

Links:

Website: www.clearbusiness.co.uk
New customer sign-up: www.clearbusiness.co.uk
Customer Services: 0333 014 3131 – Service@ClearBusiness.co.uk
Trustpilot: uk.trustpilot.com/review

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About:

ConservAqua applied for a water and sewerage supply licence in January 2020. ConservAqua joined the open water market by offering high-quality customer service, accurate billing, and the expertise to provide customers with additional water services.

ConservAqua is a commercial water supplier passionate about the environment. Water scarcity is a significant threat to the UK, and ConservAqua works to reduce water usage by offering smart water meters, greywater systems and rainwater harvesting.

Where:

England

Current licences:

Licence held to supply non-households in England for both water and sewerage services.

Additional services:

• Water efficiency services
• Smart Meters
• Off-grid supply advice

Links:

Homepage: https://conservaqua.co.uk/
New customer sign-up: https://conservaqua.co.uk/
Customer services: 0333 016 56 56
Trustpilot: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/

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About:

Everflow was founded in 2014 with the idea of creating an ethical water retailer with low-cost pricing. In 2015 Everflow opened its first office in Hartlepool in the North East of England.

Everflow is the first business water supplier to supply all its customers with a carbon-neutral supply of water and wastewater services. Everflow has achieved carbon neutrality by offsetting the carbon emissions of the water supply chain by buying certified carbon credits.

On deregulation of the English water market, Everflow has consistently led the way in obtaining new customers.

Everflow ranked second in the 2022 Market and Operations Performance Standards ranking by MOSL, the water market operator. A high ranking is a significant achievement for Everflow, given they are a new entrant into the water market.

In 2023, Everflow relaunched itself as Everflow Utilities, a business utilities provider of environmentally friendly water supply and waste management services.

Where:

Unusually, Everflow has not acquired customers through appointment on deregulation to a specific region. Instead, Everflow has acquired new customers from across the country.

Current licences:

Licence held to supply non-households in England, Scotland and Wales for both water and sewerage services.

Additional services:

• Consolidated billing
• Waste management solutions

Links:

Website: https://everflowutilities.com/
New customer sign-up: https://everflowutilities.com/services/water
Customer services: 0330 6600 137
Trustpilot: uk.trustpilot.com/

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About:

Founded in 2017, First Business Water prides itself as an innovative water retailer. They offer a focused, proactive stance on managing your water usage.

First Business Water has developed WaterDeck, an online platform that gathers water consumption data from business premises. WaterDeck is a useful analytical tool allowing businesses to understand consumption and measure the impact of water-saving initiatives.

Where:

England.

Current licences:

Licence held to supply non-households in England for both water and sewerage services.

Additional services:

• Consolidated billing
• Water efficiency services

Links:

Website: www.firstbusinesswater.co.uk
New customer sign-up: www.firstbusinesswater.co.uk/
Customer Services: 0800 849 1342

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Pure Utilities was founded in April 2015 and then successfully obtained a licence to serve Scottish businesses on the 16th of July 2016. Pure Utilities core focus is to provide a top level of customer service while delivering competitive pricing.

Pure Utilities is based in Preston. Their team are passionate about helping businesses cut unnecessary water consumption. Pure Utilities provides a free Water Efficiency self-assessment on its website that helps business owners identify areas where water consumption can be improved.

Where:

All of Scotland

Current licences:

Pure Utilities currently only have a licence to supply water and wastewater services to non-households in Scotland.

Additional services: 

• Water efficiency services
• Water-saving devices
• Smart Meters

Homepage: https://www.pureutilities.co.uk/
New customer sign-up: https://www.pureutilities.co.uk/
Customer services: 0330 113 3050

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About:

SES business water, more formally Sutton and East Surrey Water, was created on the deregulation of the English water market in 2017.

It is an associated retailer of SES water which supplies homes in the Sutton and East Surrey area. All businesses and other non-households in this area in the South of London were switched to be supplied by SES business water.

Where:

East Surrey, West Sussex, West Kent and South London

Current licences:

Licence is held to supply non-households in England, Scotland and Wales for water and sewerage services.

Additional services:

• Consolidated billing
• Smart Meters

Links:

Homepage: https://www.sesbusinesswater.co.uk/
New customer sign-up: https://www.sesbusinesswater.co.uk
Customer services: 0203 750 9300
Trust Pilot Review: https://uk.trustpilot.com/

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About:

Source for Business is a newly created national brand consisting of a consolidation of the Bournemouth Business Water, Cambridge Water Business, South Staffs Water Business and South West Water Business brands. These previously separate companies are all part of the Pennon Group, a FTSE-listed public company.

Source for Business supplies 160,000 businesses nationally but has a significant presence in the UK household market with 25 years of experience within the regulated water industry.

Source for Business offers a full suite of additional services to add value to their customers, including:

• Protecting your business – Risk assessment and monitoring services to counter threats like legionella.
• Understanding consumption – Installation of smart water meters to help businesses better understand their water usage.
• Reducing water consumption – Services to detect and repair leaks on commercial properties.
• Enhancing systems – Wastewater treatment and trade effluent optimisation services.

Where:

Bournemouth, Cambridge, South Staffordshire, South West

Current licences:

Licence is held to supply non-households in England, Scotland and Wales for water and sewerage services.

Additional services:

• Consolidated billing
• Water efficiency services

Links:

Homepage: www.source4b.co.uk/
New customer sign-up: www.source4b.co.uk/switch
Customer services: 0800 042 0347
Trustpilot: uk.trustpilot.com/review/source4b.co.uk

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About:

Water Plus is a joint venture between United Utilities and Severn Trent. The two companies joined forces in 2016 in preparation for the water market deregulation in 2017 in England.

Water Plus supplies water to 350,000 customers across all sectors, from multi-sites to SMEs and micro-businesses.

Water Plus has a major partnership with Trees for Cities and has plans to plant over 90 trees in urban areas. The initiative is part of Water Plus’s commitment to taking positive action to help the environment

Where:

Midlands and the South-west

Current licences:

Licence held to supply non-households in England and Scotland for both water and sewerage services.

Additional services:

• Smart Meters
• Water connection services
• Consolidated billing
• Water efficiency services

Links:

Website: www.water-plus.co.uk
New customer sign-up: www.water-plus.co.uk/get-a-quote
Customer Services: 0345 072 6072 – service@water-plus.co.uk
Trustpilot: uk.trustpilot.com/review

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About:

Water2Business is a Joint venture created by Bristol Water and Wessex Water in 2000 that serves 80,000 customers nationwide.

Water2Business has been named the highest-performing business water supplier by MOSL in their Market Performance Standards Report winning the prize for five consecutive years.

Water2Business was also highlighted for its strong performance on customer complaints in the 2021/21 Consumer Council for Water’s report on commercial water suppliers.

Where:

Bristol, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire

Current licences:

Licence held to supply non-households in England and Scotland for both water and sewerage services.

Additional services:

• Consolidated billing
• Smart Meters

Links:

Website: www.water2business.co.uk
New customer sign-up: www.water2business.co.uk
Customer Services: 0345 600 2600 – hello@water2business.co.uk
Trustpilot: Uk.trustpilot.com/review

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About:

Wave is a national business water supplier that was formed through the consolidation of two regional suppliers, Anglian Water Business and Northumbrian Water Group.

Wave has significant experience in the open water market with its roots tracing back to the deregulation of the Scottish market in 2008.

Where:

Northumbria, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

Current licences:

Licence held to supply non-households in England, Scotland and Wales for both water and sewerage services.

Additional services:

• Consolidated billing
• Water efficiency service

Links:

Homepage: www.wave-utilities.co.uk
New customer sign-up: www.wave-utilities.co.uk
Customer services: 0333 207 9283
Trustpilot: uk.trustpilot.com/review

Business water suppliers – Frequently asked questions

Here are the top questions asked surrounding commercial water suppliers.

How can I change business water supplier?

The onboarding process for each business water supplier is different. Where available, we have provided the relevant links to request a water quote from each supplier.

Alternatively, AquaSwitch can do the work on your behalf by collecting tailored quotes from across the market. AquaSwitch can quickly give you a view of available alternatives for your business.

If you decide to change supplier, AquaSwitch will arrange a hassle-free switch on your behalf. For more information, see our free business water comparison service.

How do I know if I am getting a good deal from my current business water supplier?

Here are two key steps in determining if you’re getting a good deal from your business water supplier:

• Determine if you are paying default business water rates – If you haven’t agreed to a fixed tariff with a business water supplier, you’ll be paying default water rates. Default business water rates are needlessly expensive, and much cheaper deals are available in the market.
• Compare business water rates – The business water market is competitive, with suppliers competing to offer the cheapest prices. Request quotes from multiple suppliers to see if your current business water supplier is competitive.

Our simple business water comparison service is a quick and easy way to see if you’re getting a good deal from your current supplier.

Which commercial water suppliers in Scotland can I choose from?

There are 17 business water suppliers in Scotland to choose from; see our list above.

The Scottish commercial water market was the first to deregulate in the UK, so the savings available from switching water suppliers away from the default tariff provider are significant.

Do commercial water suppliers include sewerage prices?

Yes, they do. Commercial water suppliers provide water and wastewater (sewerage) services to businesses. Our business water comparison tool shows water and wastewater rates available across the market.

Are there any penalties for switching business water suppliers?

Yes, there will likely be an exit fee if you cancel before the end of your contract. To find out how much the exit fee is you will have to check the “Terms & Conditions” section on your contract.

Here, it will display the exit fee and charges if you switch before your contract ends or out of the window.

Are there any industry-specific ratings or reviews of business water suppliers?

The market operator MOSL publishes an annual trading party performance report; however, this focuses on more operational aspects of execution rather than customer-specific performance.

For this, we highly recommend undertaking your own due diligence. When reviewing water suppliers, it’s best to understand your needs and wants for a new commercial water supplier.

For example, are you just looking for a cheap supply? Or are you looking for improved customer service?

Once you understand what you want, it’s time to review the current and previous customers’ insights. We recommend that you go to each of the suppliers’ Trustpilot to get an accurate overview of the supplier.

You can view a list of trusted business water suppliers on our breakdown or verify them directly with Ofwat.

How do I know which business water supplier is right for me?

It entirely depends on what you are looking for from your next business water supplier. Is it price? Is it customer service? Is it multi-property billing services?

There are plenty of reasons why you wish to switch business water suppliers but to find the right option for your business, you must understand what you are looking for from a supplier.

Here are the most common reasons to switch business water suppliers:

• Price – A business wants to pay the cheapest prices possible for its water supply. The best way to manage this is to use a business water comparison tool and compare the latest prices.
• Customer service – you should identify possible suppliers and review what their current and past customers say about them. The best option is to check out their Trustpilot or Google Reviews page.
• Services – A business looking for more than just a business water supply may look for a supplier that offers additional services like water audits, leak detection, smart water meters and more.

It’s best to review each business water supplier and their additional services. You can grab that information in our ultimate guide to business water suppliers above.

Can I change business water supplier?

Yes, you can change business water supplier. Since deregulation, businesses in England and Scotland have been able to change their business water supplier. Deregulation happened:

• in England on 1 April 2017; and
• in Scotland on 1 April 2008.

Deregulation split the water industry into water wholesalers and commercial water suppliers.

Water wholesalers are responsible for supplying clean water to all properties in your local area. When there is a problem with your water supply, water meter, or a leak in the pipe to your property, your wholesaler will fix the problem.

Since wholesalers are responsible for the water infrastructure in a particular region, it is impossible to switch wholesalers.

Business water suppliers purchase water directly from the wholesaler in bulk and then sell it to individual commercial users anywhere in the country.

For more information on changing business water suppliers, check out our complete guide to switching business water suppliers.

Do businesses pay for water in Scotland?

Yes. Scottish companies pay their chosen business water supplier for the following:

• Volumetric water and wastewater charges per cubic meter of water used.
• Potable water standing charges at a fixed annual fee.
• Surface and road drainage charges are based on rateable value.

To learn more, check our handy business water rates calculator.

Is my water supplier a business water supplier?

This can often be a point of confusion. On deregulation in 2017, some traditional water suppliers split into two similarly branded suppliers – a business water supplier and a household water supplier and wholesaler business.

A good example of this is in the Surrey region. The regional wholesaler, SES Water, supplies households, while SES Business Water supplies commercial properties.

SES Water is the company that owns and operates the local water network. SES Water is also the supplier to all homes in the region, providing invoicing and customer services.

SES Business Water is a licenced business water supplier that purchases water wholesale from SES water (and other regional wholesalers) and provides retail services to companies and other non-households.

Here’s our handy list to determine if your water supply is a business water supplier.

What do business water suppliers do?

The jargon in the water industry makes it challenging to understand what water suppliers actually do. Business water suppliers, retailers, and providers all mean the same thing.

The primary responsibilities of business water suppliers are:

• Providing accurate billing for water, wastewater and drainage services used.
• Provide a customer services function to resolve customer queries.
• Conduct twice annual physical meter readings to measure water consumed.

Business water suppliers are not responsible for maintaining and operating the water network. The British water network is operated by regional wholesalers who fix any issues that might arise with your supply.

If there is an interruption to your water supply, your commercial water supplier will contact your wholesaler to resolve the problem.

Check out our complete guide to British water infrastructure for more information on the role of wholesalers.

Who is my business water supplier?

The easiest way to find your current business water supplier is to look at a recent business water bill. Your supplier is the company charging for your water and wastewater services.

If your business has never received an invoice for your water supply or you’ve recently moved into a property, we offer a free service to determine who your water supplier is. Our in-house water experts can quickly check your property address details, and we’ll let you know your current business water supplier.

Which commercial water suppliers offers a sustainable tariff?

In 2022, business water suppliers started to introduce sustainable tariffs that offset the carbon footprint caused by the treatment and transportation of mains water.

Business water suppliers are pursuing the following green initiatives:

Everflow Water – Everflow has announced that they are the first 100% carbon neutral water supplier. Everflow purchases carbon credits to offset the carbon footprint associated with the mains water supply.

Water-Plus – Water-Plus is a winner of the Green Apple environmental awards 2021. Water Plus won this award through their actions:

• Supporting the Woodland Trust’s tree-planting campaigns.
• Supporting Forest Carbon’s work to restore peatland

See what green water tariffs are available to your business using the AquaSwitch business water comparison tool.

Do businesses pay water rates?

Yes, businesses pay water rates from their business water supplier.

If you haven’t switched your commercial water supplier before, we suggest using our business water comparison tool to help you analyse the market and to easily see the different tariffs available to your business.

Which business water suppliers accept sole traders?

Most business water suppliers accept sole traders. To onboard with a new business water supplier as a sole trader, you will need to provide the following additional information:

• Sole trader name
• Last three years’ business address
• Date of birth

The new supplier will process a personal credit check as part of their onboarding procedures as a sole trader.

How does my business credit score affect the business water supplier I can choose from?

Each business water supplier has its own credit criteria, which they use when onboarding new customers.

If your business has a poor credit rating, you’ll be limited in your choice of business suppliers and tariffs. Some suppliers won’t accept companies with a low credit score, while others won’t be able to offer their most competitive tariffs.

At AquaSwitch, our water experts will help your business find the best deal available, given your business’s credit rating.

Check out our complete guide to how credit scores impact business water supply.

Do business water suppliers offer 1-year contracts?

Yep, they do. You can request 1, 2 and 3-year contracts with commercial water suppliers.

One-year contracts tend to cost a little more, but depending on your circumstances, this may be the perfect length of the contract for your business. Generally, the longer the contract, the cheaper the annual cost.

Business water supplier jargon buster

Consolidated billing – Receiving a single bill from your business water supplier covering multiple business properties.

CMA – “Central Market Agency” – An organisation that administers the market for water and wastewater retail services in Scotland.

MOSL – “Market Operator Services Limited” – An organisation that administers the market for water and wastewater retail services in England.

SPID – “Supply Point ID” – A unique identifier associated with each water supply and wastewater removal location to non-household businesses across Britain.

Water network connection – Arranging for a new property to be connected to the water and wastewater networks.

Water supply – Transportation of potable water to a property.

Wastewater supply – Transportation of sewage away from the property for treatment.

Wholesalers – Regional utility companies that manage the water network and who are responsible for maintaining the water and wastewater supplies.

Our data sources

All data in this guide has been collated from public sources during 2022 and 2023. In the list of English business water suppliers, we have linked to the website of each supplier.

Additionally, we have used the following sources:

• Ofwat’s state of the market report.
• Ofwat water licensees list.
• MOSL 2022/23 Annual Market Performance Report.
• CMA Scotland market information.

The AquaSwitch energy comparison service

Use the AquaSwitch business energy comparison tool to get competitive energy quotes in minutes. Just enter your business’s postcode to begin the comparison.

Just looking for a single energy product?

Compare business gas prices
Compare business electricity

The Authors of this page

This page was written and reviewed by our business water experts Tom Melhuish and Ben Brading.

For more on our editorial process.