Your water, your choice

It’s that time of year when you turn on any TV or radio news channel, one of the headlines is the cost of gas and electricity and how we should all switch suppliers.

And apparently last month record numbers of us, ever keen to cut costs, did just that.

Maybe it’s something in the title ‘wastewater’ then that has failed to attract the headlines in equal measure about the groundbreaking measure to allow 1.2 million businesses and charities the right to choose their supplier of water and waste water services.

The changes, to be introduced in April, affect non-domestic users from small, independent retailers to large public authorities and many in between and have been described as the most radical changes in the water industry for a generation.

In just a few weeks, eligible organisations will be able to shop around for a new deal with an alternative supplier or renegotiate their existing deal.

Deregulation will present incredible cost-saving opportunities for companies and simplify bill management, especially for those operating on multiple sites in different regions. Where now they pay the bill to the ‘host’ supplier, bosses will be able to cash in on the changes and go to a sole retailer for all their water services.

Since Scotland introduced similar rules in 2008, millions of pounds have been saved with water efficiency measures, customer satisfaction has rocketed, and customers have saved billions of litres of water and hundreds of thousands of tons of CO2.

Now, as a business owner, similar savings and an all-round more water efficient business could be yours.

So why is it that organisations have been so lethargic in seeking out these savings? Yes, the scheme doesn’t kick in until April but the shopping around part of the equation is in play.

Now a national awareness campaign has been launched by Water UK to help bosses understand the changes when the floodgates (!) open.

Called Your Water.Your Choice, the campaign is live online and across social media. It showcases some of the benefits customers can expect and highlights case studies of organisations seeking to improve their water efficiency.

Key to all this is the benefits to the environment in terms of more efficient use of water, reduced carbon emissions from cuts in water use and more innovation and better use of technology.

Here at Syntegra, we are proud of our water bill analysis review service, including our ‘No Win – No Fee’ water bill validation service.

We check that you are being charged the correct amount and getting the best value from your supplier as well as identifying potential leakage issues and help you reclaim any excessive charges.

Our additional water audit service provides businesses with a comprehensive review of all water consumption on your premises with the core objectives of reducing consumption, eliminating wastage, improving your operational behaviours and ultimately reducing costs.

We identify opportunities for recycling, rainwater harvesting and drainage projects, recommend asset modification and operational alterations and help you understand environmental targets.

This service typically delivers between 20 and 50 per cent reductions in water consumption and most alterations prove to be self-funding with payback returns often met within a year.

Additionally, we co-ordinate water providers and other statutory services in building projects to ensure go-live dates are not compromised.

From April 1^st, it’s your water, your choice…no fooling anyone. We’re excited – savings for the customer AND the environment. What’s not to love?