In our recent news and blog posts, we have outlined some of the things we can do to help ensure your business water bills are minimised if your business is facing a downturn due to the COVID-19 virus. This information is based on instructions from Ofwat, the economic regulator of the water sector in England and Wales & MOSL, the market operator of England’s non-household water market.
The guidance from the regulator in Scotland, the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS), Scottish Water & the Scottish Government differs from that given to the water sector in England and Wales and these distinctions should be noted.
Scottish Water has now agreed to relax the standard pre-payment arrangements for wholesale water charges on Licensed Providers who supply water to businesses in Scotland.
Although regulations set by the Scottish Government mean that all water service charges are still payable in full, regardless of whether or not your premises is occupied, we are keen to pass on support to our customers that find themselves in financial distress at this time.
Scottish Government guidelines state that if a business ceases trading, whether temporarily or permanently, charges will continue up to the point that the business no longer has a legal right to occupy the property e.g. a lease has ended naturally or has been terminated by a landlord.
At this point, Castle Water would be required to issue a final bill which would include charges up to the move out date. After this bill, either the landlord or the property owner would be liable. If your premises fell under these circumstances, we would advise you to provide us with your move out date and final meter read at castlewater.co.uk/meterread, if safe to do so, in order to avoid any additional charges.
In England, vacant premises won’t normally incur charges if evidence of closure can be provided.
We want to help
We do hope the current guidelines in Scotland will change, however, in the meantime we'd like to support you in keeping your business water bills as accurate as possible - so you're not paying more than you need to.
Contact details
Our customer services are available Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm. Call 01250 718700 or email customersupport@castlewater.co.uk
You can find advice and guidance on managing your water consumption at castlewater.co.uk/services/water-management
Find out more about Castle Water's COVID-19 Repayment Scheme here.
