By now, most businesses in Scotland and England know that they can choose their water and wastewater supplier. But what exactly is the open water market and how does it work?
Since 2008, the water market has been open in Scotland and since 2017, the water market has been open in England. The open water market means businesses can shop around for their water retail services including water, wastewater and trade effluent.
This is great news for UK businesses as the competitive water market means:
✓ Better value for money
✓ Lower bills and charges
✓ Improved customer service
✓ Tailored services
✓ Support to become more water efficient
So how does the open water market work? Before the open market, business had no choice but to buy their water services directly from their local water network. Today, the customer has a choice! Water retailers now buy wholesale water services from the water networks. The retailers can then package these water services with other essential elements like great customer service and added value benefits to create a complete service for the customer.
So, while the physical supply of water still comes from the network, the customer benefits from the service and competitive pricing from the retailer.
All businesses use more water than they realise, so it pays to make sure you’re with the right retailer. There’s never been a better or easier time to switch!
