Compare business water suppliers

Compare business water rates – FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions we are asked when you look to compare business water suppliers.

Are there any online tools or resources to help me compare business water suppliers?

Yep, the AquaSwitch business water comparison service. We work with trusted business water suppliers, where you can compare the latest business water rates  to ensure you get the best deal!

What are the types of water meters?

Most British commercial properties have a water meter that measures mains water consumption. Water companies usually hide their water meters below a cover on the pavement outside your property.

Find your meter using our visual guide to finding water meters.

Water meters come in three types:

• A traditional water meter – One that only displays water used on a dial that requires manual reading.
• A smart water meter – An upgraded water meter that transmits water consumption to your business water supplier using wireless or 4G communications.
• An AMR water meter – A water meter where the local water company has installed a wireless device that allows them to record a meter reading by driving a van with a sensor nearby.

Here’s our full guide to submitting a meter reading.

I have 12 months left on my contract. Can I compare business water suppliers?

Unfortunately, you cannot switch business water supplier when you still have a year left of a water contract. You may need to pay an exit fee if you choose to proceed with switching to another supplier while still in contract.

Unlike when you compare business energy, wholesale water rates only change once a year, so you don’t need to worry about agreeing on another contract a whole year in advance.

Compare business water suppliers any time in the last three months of your contract to arrange a new contract.

Can you compare business water supplier prices for health clubs?

Yes, you can compare business water prices for health clubs. Health clubs tend to use a considerable amount of potable water, so it’s worth using our business water comparison tool to compare prices.

Health clubs have identified other ways to save money by undertaking a water audit and identifying unnecessary water consumption. Read our full guide for tips on reducing water consumption as a business.

Will business water prices increase in the future?

As with most services, water prices increase over time as maintaining and operating the water network becomes more expensive.

In April of each year, Ofwat adjusts the underlying wholesale water rates to reflect rising water network costs. This price adjustment is a yearly occurrence, unlike in the energy markets, which fluctuate daily.

This year’s annual increase occurred on 1st April, with default water rates increasing by 14% on average with significant regional variations. Here’s a link to our complete guide to the 2023 business water rates increase.

Business water prices won’t increase again until April 2024. However, AquaSwitch’s Director Ben Brading says, “significant water price rises are likely in 2024 due to the pressure Ofwat is coming under to invest in improving water infrastructure and prevent sewage discharge into rivers”.

Can universities compare business water suppliers?

Yes, universities can compare business water suppliers. Comparing suppliers not only gives you the ability to save money – but also offers you the opportunity to consolidate your billing.

Universities that have multiple sites will often find the billing process time-consuming. Using our business comparison tool, you can move all of your premises onto one, easy to manage bills, saving time and money.

Compare water suppliers prices for your university today and benefit from cheaper rates and better bill management.

How long can I fix my business water rates for?

The AquaSwitch comparison report will include water tariffs between 1 and 3 years. These tariffs fix the retail fee charged to your business during the contractual period protecting your business against rate rises.

Can I compare small business water rates?

Yes, even micro company properties can compare and switch business water suppliers. As long as your property’s principal use is not a household, you are eligible to compare business water rates in the open water market.

Small businesses can make significant savings by switching away from default water contracts. Compare the water market today and determine how much your micro business can save.

For more information, here’s our guide to water rates for small businesses.

Who are the cheapest business water suppliers in Scotland?

There isn’t a set answer for this, as it’s pretty circumstantial. There are many factors to take into consideration when suppliers provide you with a detailed quote.

A water quote tailored to your business will include the following charges:

• Potable water standing charge
• Potable water metering charge
• Wastewater standing charge
• Wastewater volumetric charge
• Surface water drainage
• Highways drainage
• Foul sewage and trade effluent

Make sure to read through our guide on understanding business water charges to get an idea of the different fees businesses incur for their water and wastewater services.

The AquaSwitch service will take into account all these different charges to provide a direct comparison between your current supply and quotes from other suppliers taking into account all these additional charges.

Who is the cheapest business water supplier in England?

In England, the question of who provides the cheapest water supply gets even more complicated. Eleven regional companies across England provide water and sewerage services. Each of these regional companies has different ways of charging for their services.

Business water suppliers in England will pass on these charges to your business plus a variable retail fee.

We’ve pulled together a page exploring the different English and Scottish business water suppliers and their coverage to simplify this situation.

It’s worth remembering that business water suppliers can also provide additional services that help reduce business water usage, resulting in a cheaper supply. You can access a breakdown of their services and coverage in the above link.

How often should I compare business water suppliers?

You should compare at least once a year, as the wholesale rates change every year on the 1st of April.

However, if you are currently on default rates, comparing business water rates today is a good idea to see how much you can save by switching to a new business water supplier.

Who benefits from the cheapest business water supply?

The underlying cost of providing clean water to businesses across Britain depends significantly on water scarcity in your region.

Businesses in the South West of England suffer from the highest volumetric water charges. In Devon and Cornwall, annual rainfall is less than most of the country, and the distance that pipes need to travel is greater.

This means that the underlying cost of providing clean water is greater, a cost that is passed through to businesses in business water supplier charges.

In contrast, rainfall is more frequent around London and the Anglian region, and the density of water using properties is higher, resulting in lower charges.

Ultimately there is little you can do about the region your business is located. But the simple step of changing to a cheaper business water supplier can go a long way in reducing cost.

Click here to compare business water suppliers.

Can a school compare business water suppliers?

Yes, schools can compare business water suppliers since they are classified as non-household properties, so they can benefit from the deregulated water market. Schools can use our business water comparison service to compare quotes.

Start the comparison process with our simple form, letting us know your:

• Address
• Contact Details
• SPID Number

Compare business water quotes.

How can I reduce my business water bill?

AquaSwitch offers advice on several ways to reduce your business water bill.

The simplest way to reduce your business water bill is to get the cheapest possible business water rates. Compare business water rates with AquaSwitch today to quickly find the best deals on offer in the market.

A second way to reduce your business water bill is to reduce unnecessary water consumption; here are a few ways to do it:

• Check your property for leaks – Businesses can spend thousands of pounds on water leaking from broken pipes. Check out our complete guide to water leaks.
• Rainwater harvesting – Some businesses use tap water to water plants in the garden. Happy plants can be achieved for free through simple rainwater harvesting.
• Tap aerators – Tap aerators reduce the volume of water used in a sink by introducing air into the water flow.

For more ideas on reducing your water consumption, read our full guide here:

• Reducing your water consumption as a business.

How long into my current contract can I compare business water suppliers?

With the AquaSwitch comparison service, you can compare your current tariff with the market at any time. However, if you are in a fixed-term contract with your existing water supplier, it is only possible to switch when your current contract ends.

At AquaSwitch, we can arrange a switch at a future date up to three months in advance of your contract end date. By organising your switch ahead of the end of your current contract, you can ensure you avoid expensive out-of-contract rates.

Can a farm compare business water suppliers?

Absolutely; at AquaSwitch, we’ve helped many farms compare business water rates and make a hassle-free switch.

In fact, agriculture is the highest water-consuming industry in the UK. In the dry summer months, many farms rely on a mains water supply to irrigate their crops, so getting a good deal on water tariffs is important to keeping costs down.

Farms generally will only incur only minimal wastewater charges since the water they use doesn’t return to the drains. Our business water experts have helped farm owners by checking that these sewerage charges are fairly calculated on their bills.

Water consumption at farms tends to vary from season to season. Using historical meter reading data, our experts calculate an average annual cost for water and compare this to get the best quotes currently on offer in the market.

What happens when I compare business water suppliers with AquaSwitch?

The AquaSwitch water supplier comparison service is free and doesn’t come with any obligations.

Once our water experts have received your details, they’ll obtain business water quotes tailored to your business and let you know how much you could save compared to your current tariff.

If you decide to take advantage of one of our quotes, our experts will take care of a hassle-free switch. It’s really as simple as that.

Why are you asking for my SPID when I use your business water comparison service?

The supply point ID (SPID) is a unique identifier used in the water market to identify the supply of water services to an individual property.

When we have the SPID of your business property, we can look up the historical water consumption and other key details about the water and wastewater services being used by a property. Only with these details can we provide a comparison report tailored to your commercial property.

Will comparing business water suppliers’ prices save my business money?

Absolutely, comparing and switching to a new water supplier is a really easy way to save your business money. The vast majority of businesses in Britain pay out-of-contract water rates that are more expensive than tariffs available in the market.

Using the AquaSwitch business water comparison tool allows you to compare your current bills to alternatives offered in the market. Find how much your business can save today by using our business water comparison tool.

Do I need a SPID number to compare business water suppliers?

Yes, the AquaSwitch business water comparison report uses the following details associated with your SPID to produce tailored business water quotes:

• The size of your water meter
• Historical water consumption
• The surface area of your property

Your SPID is shown on all business water bills. However, if you can’t find it, our water experts may be able to find your SPID based on your business name and address through our business water comparison service.

Simply start with your postcode on our business water comparison service.

Can a pub compare business water suppliers?

Yes, pubs can absolutely compare and switch business water suppliers. Most English pubs continue to pay expensive default business water rates and can significantly save by comparing business water suppliers.

Comparing the market is easy to do; all we need from you is:

• The name of your business
• Where your business is located
• Your supply point identification number (SPID)*
• Contact details

We’ve helped many pubs and bars switch business water suppliers, and it’s incredibly easy to do – save today!

How much do businesses pay for water compared to households?

The charges for business water rates and household water rates are similar. In a study conducted in 2021, AquaSwitch found that domestic rates are on average 8.7% cheaper than the equivalent default commercial water contract.

However, businesses can now make significant savings by switching away from the default contract.

Can I compare business water suppliers if I’m based in Wales?

Unfortunately, the vast majority of companies in Wales cannot choose the supplier of their water services. The exception is businesses that consume over 50 million litres of water annually. Fifty million litres is a vast amount of water, which is only applicable to a few industrial activities.

Can I compare water suppliers for my house?

Unfortunately not. Currently, in the UK, you cannot compare water suppliers. Homes are supplied by the local water wholesaler, the company that operates the water network in your area.

You can check who your water supplier is here and review the cost of domestic water vs business water.

There was a discussion surrounding the possibility of allowing the household market to switch to a private water supplier; however, that has fallen down the priority list due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can read the Ofwat report here.

How can I compare the customer services of different business water suppliers?

Comparing the levels of customer service before moving to a new supplier is important. You want to have a responsive customer service team who will quickly resolve any issues that arise.

To begin with, you will want to review their customer reviews – we recommend hopping over to Trustpilot to get an idea of what past and present customers have experienced.

It’s then worth looking at additional factors, including:

• Complaints – Look at the number and nature of complaints made against each supplier. You can find this information on the Consumer Council for Water website.
• Response times – See how quickly each supplier responds to queries and customer complaints. You can test this by making a phone call or sending an email and tracking the response time.
• Service level agreements (SLAs) – Compare the SLAs offered by different suppliers regarding response times, fault resolution times, and customer support hours.
• Additional services – Check if the suppliers offer additional services such as water efficiency advice, leak detection, or flexible billing options, which can indicate a higher level of customer care.

By comparing these factors, you can decide which business water supplier provides the best customer service.

Why is it important to compare business water suppliers?

Owning and managing a business can be complex. When you’re constantly dealing with the chaos that comes with running an organisation, the last thing you want to deal with is ever-increasing business water rates.

The open water market in England and Scotland allows business owners to save on their water bills and reduce unnecessary consumption.

Let’s take a closer look at how the open water market works and how you can use the AquaSwitch business water comparison service to find a more efficient, budget-friendly business water tariff.

Compare business water supplier prices today with AquaSwitch.

Related business products

While comparing business water rates, it’s worth considering whether you can save money by requesting a quick business energy comparison too:

• Business energy comparison
• Business gas comparison
• Business electricity comparison
• Business energy suppliers
• Commercial solar panels