In April 2017, water retail competition will start in England, joining Scotland, which has been successfully open to competition since 2008. As a result, the English water market will become the largest deregulated retail water market in the world to date.
The open market will allow 1.2 million businesses, including charities and the public sector, to choose who provides their water and sewerage services, similarly to how they can choose their electricity and gas suppliers.
Undoubtedly, competition is a key mechanism to encourage innovation. With it, companies are under pressure to distinguish themselves from the competitors, mainly through the introduction of value-added services and aiming for greater water efficiency to differentiate through better prices. The deregulation will pave the way for further significant changes in other areas of the water and wastewater industry.
What are the benefits of a deregulated water market?
- Encouraging greater innovation within the water and sewerage sector
- Better prices, resulting in cost reduction
- Driving water efficiency measures
- Consolidated billing and e-billing
- Significant improvement of service level and a more customer-centric approach
Alfa Energy will carefully analyse your needs and work to meet them. Our aim is to understand your water usage even before the market is deregulated so that we can prepare your portfolio for procurement once it becomes available. We will assist you with a range of water services, including:
- Water procurement covering England and Scotland. We will manage the overall process and guide you through the tender, providing recommendations.
- Forensic Bill Auditing. We will analyse both water and wastewater charges for your business and take a look at your consumption patterns. If we do not find any savings, we do not charge a fee for the service.
- Forward Bill Validation. We will thoroughly check your water and sewerage invoices, paying particular attention to the tariffs, meter status, and consumption.
- Account management. Your personal account manager will manage all your queries on your behalf, leaving you to focus on your business.
Should you choose to switch your supplier, the quality of water will not change. It will be abstracted, stored, treated, and distributed by the water wholesaler in your area as it always has been. The same goes for the sewerage wholesaler serving your area, who will still be responsible for collecting, treating, and disposing of the wastewater.
Effective water procurement is a strategic element of running a business, just as gas and electricity procurement is. With a deregulated water market, new opportunities have arisen and are ready to be embraced.
To find out if there is potential saving on your water bills, all we need from you is a copy of your most recent water invoice.
Contact our experts today at waterservices@alfaenergygroup.com.
