Did You Know You Can Switch Your Business Water Supplier?
Since 2017, business water has been a competitive market in England — most business owners we speak to still don't know they can switch.
Business water is one of the least understood utilities we deal with — largely because most business owners assume, reasonably, that there's only one water company to deal with. Since the market opened to competition in England in 2017, that's no longer true, and it's one of the most overlooked opportunities for savings we come across.
Switching business water supplier doesn’t change your physical water or wastewater connection — the pipes stay exactly the same. What changes is who bills you and provides customer service, in the same way switching gas or electricity supplier works. Because so few businesses are aware this is even possible, water contracts often go years without being reviewed at all.
How Business Water Switching Actually Works
Since April 2017, England’s water market has separated retail (billing, customer service, meter reading) from wholesale (the physical pipes, treatment and infrastructure). You can switch which retailer bills you, but the wholesaler that actually delivers water to your premises stays exactly the same regardless of who you switch to — which is why switching carries no risk to your actual supply or water pressure.
Is Your Business Eligible to Switch?
Any non-household premises in England — offices, restaurants, retail units, industrial sites — is eligible to switch water retailer. Wales has a more limited eligibility threshold based on usage. We’ll confirm your eligibility as part of a free review before recommending anything.
Water usage matters most for premises with high consumption — commercial kitchens, cleaning-intensive businesses, anywhere with heavy food prep — but it’s worth reviewing for almost any business, since the switching process itself is straightforward once you know it’s available.
Problems We Solve
- Not aware that switching business water supplier is even possible
- Paying the same rate for years with no market comparison
- High usage from food prep or cleaning with no visibility on costs
- Assuming water bills can't realistically be reduced
- Most business owners don't realise business water has been switchable since 2017
Businesses We Help With This
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See how we helpFrequently Asked Questions
Yes — since April 2017, businesses in England have been able to choose their water and wastewater retailer, in a similar way to switching gas or electricity. Wales followed with eligibility for larger users.
No. Your physical pipes and water supply are unaffected — switching only changes who bills you and handles customer service.
It varies by usage and current rate, but because so few businesses have ever compared the market, water is one of the more commonly overlooked areas where we find meaningful savings.
The retailer bills you and handles customer service — that's what you're switching. The wholesaler owns and maintains the physical pipes and treatment infrastructure, and stays the same no matter who your retailer is.
Any non-household premises in England is eligible. In Wales, eligibility depends on usage levels. We check this for you before recommending a switch.
Most business premises are metered, and having a meter usually makes it easier to see accurate savings from switching. If you're on an unmeasured charge, we can talk through your options.
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