The Water Market
From April 2017 all non-domestic customers no matter size, sector or usage will be able to choose their provider of water retail services. The water itself will still be provided from the same source and the waste water services will be provided by the same wholesaler.
What’s changed?
Scotland has been enjoying the benefits of an open water marketing since 2008. In England until now, only businesses using more than 5ML (megalitres) on a single site could switch their water supplier. In Wales, only customers using more than 50 ML (megalitres) per year can switch. There are no plans for the rest of the Welsh water market to open for competition. Now, businesses in England can shop around for their retail services.
What does this mean for me?
The new deregulated water market will mean that much like the gas and electricity market, customers can switch to an approved retailer for billing, meter reads and customer service. It will allow more competition and innovation in the market as retailers strive to provide customers with better service propositions, streamlining of accounts and more added value.
Where can I go to find more information?
There are a number of other websites which can tell you more about the upcoming changes and give you other help on the market. These include:
Consumer Council for Water- (England and Wales)-www.ccwater.org.uk
Consumer Futures Unit (Scotland)- www.cas.org.uk
Ofwat- www.ofwat.gov.uk
Open Water- www.open-water.org.uk
