Sunday, the 1st April, marked the 1 year anniversary of the opening of the business water market in England.
Since April 2017, business and other non-household customers have been able to choose their own water retailer, much like the way the gas and energy markets already operated, rather than being automatically enlisted with their local area supplier.
This change brought with it a number of new water companies being created to provide water retail services, whilst the water wholesalers remain in charge of the pipes, the water supply itself and waste water services.
Over 100,000 businesses have made the switch and reaped the benefits of the open water market with monetary savings, consolidated billing and the provision of added value services, offered by many of the water retailers.
At Water Direct we have been supporting a number of the UK’s water retailers by providing alternative water and water supply contingency planning as one of these added value services.
“Non-residential customers are slowly waking up to the fact that they now need to arrange their own alternative water plans. Customers need to be made aware of this ‘gap’ in service before, not after they have a supply interruption. Water Direct are working with the majority of UK water retailers to raise awareness of this issue and provide a proven, quality solution.”
David Graham – Head of Strategic Development at Water Direct
Our contingency planning service ensures an alternative water supply will be provided in the instance of an unexpected supply loss, where the business customer needs to find their own temporary provision.
This service includes an initial site assessment to determine the specific needs of the site including water usage, vehicle access and accessibility into the supply.
A contingency plan is then created based on the findings of the site visit with a pre-agreed level of response. This response can either be on a best endeavours basis or through an assured response contract that guarantees our attendance to site within a pre-agreed period of time.
Putting your own temporary water supply plan into place can ensure your business can continue operating during an outage. Most businesses rely on a consistent, safe water supply and an interruption can result in a halt in production, loss of profit, contract fines or even business closure.
If you’re looking to switch your water supplier, ensure that you find out what additional benefits they can offer in the event of a supply interruption.
You should ask your chosen supplier about their emergency provision, and whether they offer a contingency service. If your retailer can’t provide these or recommend an approved supplier, you can contact Water Direct directly using our online contact form below, or by calling the team on 0345 345 1725.