We help businesses understand their water account, review billing and consumption, and look at what options may be available through water retailers for their site.
Account clarity
Understand what each charge on your water bill relates to.
Consumption review
Spot unusual usage patterns that may indicate a leak.
Retailer options
Explain what can be arranged, depending on your location.
How business water supply is structured
Water and wastewater services are delivered through the regional wholesaler that owns the pipes and treatment works. The retail side, which covers billing, meter reading and customer service, can be provided by a chosen retailer in the deregulated English and Scottish markets.
In England, businesses are placed with a retailer based on where they are located, though the account can be moved. In Scotland, most non-household customers can choose their retailer. In Northern Ireland, businesses are served by Northern Ireland Water under a different arrangement.
- Wholesale charges cover the physical supply of water and the removal of wastewater.
- Retail charges cover billing, meter reading, customer service and account administration.
- Surface water drainage charges relate to rainwater running from the site into the public sewer.
Billing queries and consumption checks
Water bills frequently include assessed charges where a meter is not fitted, and it is worth checking whether the basis of charging suits the site. For metered premises, an unexpected increase in consumption often points to a leak, an irrigation change or a fault, and can be investigated.
- Checking whether a supply is metered or charged on an assessed basis.
- Reviewing surface water drainage charges where the site drains elsewhere.
- Looking at consumption trends across comparable periods to spot anomalies.
- Understanding what is required to raise or dispute a query with the retailer.
What we can and cannot arrange
We can review your account information, explain the structure of charges, help you prepare a query, and discuss retailer options for sites where a change is possible. Physical works such as pipe repairs, new connections and metering installations are carried out by the wholesaler or its appointed contractors.
Where a service depends on eligibility, a wholesaler's decision or a third party, we will say so clearly rather than imply a guaranteed outcome.
Who we help with business water
Water support is most useful for sites with high consumption or complex drainage arrangements.
- Restaurants, cafes and food preparation sites
- Hotels, leisure centres and care settings
- Manufacturing and processing businesses
- Car washes, garages and horticultural businesses
- Property managers with several sites on one account
- Businesses with an unexplained increase in water charges
Eligibility and what to expect
Water services are delivered by regional wholesalers and licensed retailers, and eligibility to change retailer or dispute a charge depends on the market rules for your location and the terms of your supply. We do not carry out physical works on the water network.