Excellent 5* Rating
Independent UK water broker
Compare business water suppliers
Compare quotes from up to 14 licensed water retailers and switch quickly and with ease. We handle the whole thing for you, and we’re not tied to one retailer.
Independent broker · Competitive rates · Billing audits up to 6 years back
- Choose from up to 14 water suppliers
- Switch for better customer service
- UK-wide trusted supplier network
How it works
How to compare business water suppliers
We know that comparing business water suppliers can be complex and time-consuming, especially if you don’t know where to start. That’s why we’re focused on making the entire process simple and stress-free here at The Business Water Shop.
All you need to do is enter a few quick details, and then our team will take care of everything on your behalf, from finding out your current situation and goals for the future, to communication with your water suppliers, and scheduling a convenient switch date.
Three simple steps
Compare, switch and save
Fill out a form
We only need a couple of key details to get started.
Compare water prices
We find the best deal for you using our network of trusted suppliers.
Secure the best deal
Make the switch or renew to enjoy the best deal for your business. It’s that straightforward!
Comparison criteria
What should you compare between water suppliers?
Price matters, but it is not the whole picture. These are the seven things we weigh up on every comparison we run.
Wholesale rates
Set by your regional wholesaler for water and wastewater per cubic metre. Every retailer passes these through, and they make up most of the bill.
Retail fees
The retailer’s own charge on top of the wholesale cost. This is where quotes genuinely differ, so it is where we compare hardest.
Customer service
Billing accuracy, response times and whether you get a named account contact when something goes wrong.
Billing format
Single-site, multi-site or consolidated billing. One invoice across all your sites saves real admin time.
Contract length
Renewal dates, notice periods and exit terms. Shorter is not always better, but unclear terms are a red flag.
Audit potential
Whether historic charges such as drainage, return-to-sewer and estimated reads can be reviewed and reclaimed.
Sector fit
A retailer that suits a coffee shop may not suit a school estate or a manufacturer. Track record in your sector counts.
Suppliers
Our trusted supplier network
We work with a wide network of licensed business water retailers across the UK, giving us the range to find a deal that suits you — and we handle all the hard work, from collecting quotes to running the switch. We’re independent and tied to none of them.
Case studies
Real results from real businesses
We’ve recovered seven figures in overcharges and consolidated hundreds of multi-site contracts for UK businesses. A few recent examples:
Recovered on historic surface water drainage charges that should not have applied.
Consolidated multi-site billing and secured significant savings across their estate.
See what you could save on business water
Send us a recent bill or your postcode and we compare up to 14 licensed retailers for you.
The market
How the UK business water market works
The UK’s non-domestic water market splits into two systems. England opened to competition on 1 April 2017. Scotland deregulated nine years earlier, in 2008. In both markets the wholesaler still owns the pipes and delivers the water to your premises. Your regional water company keeps doing that job in England. Scottish Water keeps doing it in Scotland.
What changed is who issues your bill. A licensed retailer now handles billing, customer service and contracts, and a business can choose which retailer it wants. There are up to 14 retailers active in Scotland and over 20 in England. Most businesses are still with the retailer they were defaulted to when the market opened. Default tariffs are rarely the cheapest, and the customer service is rarely the best.
Your wholesaler
Owns the pipes, delivers the water and sets the wholesale charges. You cannot choose this part.
Your retailer
Issues the bills, handles customer service and sets the retail fee. This is the part you choose, and the part we compare.
Bill audit
What we check on a business water audit
A bill audit is the most direct way to find money owed back to your business. We review up to six years of past billing for three recurring issues.
Incorrect surface water drainage
Historically around 1 in 6 commercial water bills carry an incorrect drainage charge. Sites with soakaways, private drainage or rainwater harvesting often should not be paying surface water charges at all. The fix is a drainage survey or a sketch of your site’s runoff, sent to the retailer with a refund claim attached.
Wrong return-to-sewer percentage
The retailer default is 95%, meaning nearly all the water you take in is assumed to leave as wastewater. For manufacturers, breweries, food production and farms that lose water to product, irrigation or evaporation, the correct figure can be far lower. Adjusting this percentage permanently reduces the wastewater portion of every future bill.
Estimated meter reads that ran for years
If your meter was not read by the retailer for 18 months, the estimate has almost certainly drifted. We benchmark estimates against actual reads and flag any large mismatches for review.
Quick links
Choose what you need
Before you sign
What to check before you switch
Switching business water supplier is straightforward, but a few things are worth checking before you sign. Skipping these is the most common reason switches get held up at the wholesaler gateway.
Your contract end date
If you’re inside a fixed-term contract with your current retailer, you usually need to give notice in writing before the contract end date. Notice periods vary between retailers — sometimes there is one, sometimes there isn’t. Missing it can roll you into another fixed term.
Your SPID number
The Supply Point Identification number is a unique reference for each water supply point on your premises. It’s on your most recent bill. If you have multiple meters across several sites, you’ll have one SPID for each.
Your annual consumption
Quotes are priced against actual usage. If your bill is built on estimated reads, the quote may be too high or too low. Take a fresh meter reading on the day you request quotes, and the new retailer can calibrate against it.
Whether you’ve ever audited your bill
Many businesses have been overcharged for years without knowing. A bill audit can be run in parallel with a switch. If you’ve been on the same retailer since 2017 (England) or 2008 (Scotland), the chance of a recoverable overcharge is high.
The basics
Why switch your business water supplier?
You can enjoy a variety of great benefits from switching your business water supplier. As well as highly competitive water and wastewater rates, you can also enjoy improved customer service, and often additional features like bespoke invoicing. That puts the power back in your hands, enabling you to choose how you pay for your water invoices and also how often you pay, depending on the size of your water supply.
Competitive prices
Move your business onto more competitive business rates.
Customer service
Benefit from improved customer service with a new supplier.
Accurate invoicing
Choose how you pay and how often you want to be invoiced.
About the Business Water Shop
An independent water broker for UK businesses
We compare business water suppliers, switch contracts, consolidate multi-site billing, and run audits to recover historic overcharges. We don’t supply water ourselves. We sit between you and the retailers and only suggest moves you’d actually want to make.
Who we help
Sectors we work with most
Some sectors overpay for water more reliably than others. We work with school estates and academy trusts where surface water drainage is the biggest single overcharge, and with hospitality groups, FM operators and multi-site landlords where billing is fragmented across providers.
Ready to compare your water rates?
Tell us where you are, and we handle the switch end to end.
Where we work
Areas we cover
We compare business water across England and Scotland, the two markets where the choice of retailer has been deregulated. Most of our customer accounts cluster in the major commercial centres, but geography isn’t a constraint. We work with businesses across the whole UK.
Reviews
What our customers say about us
“Very helpful and efficient would definitely recommend.”
“Excellent service, to the point and took care of everything quickly at ease.”
“The transfer was quick, easy and painless. Recommended.”
“Really great service, helping me find the best option for business water at my property. Process is really easy.”
“I have used them twice now and will definitely come back again. Very highly recommended!!”
“Really prompt and efficient service. Probably took me no more than 5-10 mins in total to switch to a cheaper supplier.”
“Excellent customer service. Got me a great deal on a water contract for our business and ensured everything ran smoothly.”
“It was good to do business with a company that treats their customers with patience and calmness.”
“He was always polite and knowledgeable with the answers to my questions.”
FAQs
Compare business water suppliers — FAQs
What is a SPID number?
Your Supply Point Identification Number — the unique reference for each water supply point on your premises. You’ll need it to compare quotes or switch. Read our full SPID guide.
Where can I find my SPID number?
It’s on your latest business water bill, usually near the account details. If you can’t find it, use our guide to finding your SPID number.
How do you work out my annual consumption?
From your meter reads and recent bills — actual reads beat estimates every time. Our business water meters guide shows exactly what to look for.
If I’ve been overcharged for water, can I claim the money back?
If you think you have been overcharged for water in the past, our team at The Business Water Shop can help – we can undertake a water audit for your business to see if we can make a claim for you. This allows us to go back 6 years to check if you have been overcharged. If you’d like to understand more about what’s involved, or get started on a water audit, don’t hesitate to contact us, or take a look at our dedicated business water audit page right here on our website.
Do I need to contact my previous supplier if I choose to switch business water suppliers?
No. If you choose us here at The Business Water Shop to handle the switch, you can count on us to take care of the entire process for you! That includes setting up the contract with your new supplier on your behalf, and if necessary, letting your current business water supplier know that you’ll be leaving them. This way, we can ensure a seamless switch between providers, and you can have peace of mind that there will be no disruption to your business water supply.
What happens if I have paid my current bill in advance?
If you have paid for your bill in advance with your current supplier then you will get your money back for the water that you have not used. When your supply switches over, your previous supplier will credit the money back to you (if they owe you anything) after your switch date. Each supplier will use the same opening read and closing read so you are not overcharged during this period.
Can I switch business water supplier in the UK?
Yes, in England (since 2017) and Scotland (since 2008). Any non-domestic premises can choose its retailer. Domestic accounts cannot switch.
Will switching disrupt my water supply?
No. The wholesaler still owns the pipes and delivers the water. Only the billing entity changes.
How much does it cost to use a water broker?
Switching is handled at no direct cost to the business. We’re remunerated by the incoming retailer or on a success-share basis for audit recoveries.
What’s the difference between a water wholesaler and a retailer?
The wholesaler is the regional water company (Thames Water, Severn Trent, Scottish Water, etc.) that owns the pipes and treats the water. The retailer is the licensed company that bills you for it and handles customer service. Since deregulation, you can choose your retailer but not your wholesaler.
Can I switch if I rent my premises?
Yes, if your business is the named account holder on the water bill. Tenants who pay water charges through service charges to the landlord usually cannot switch directly; the landlord can.
How long does a business water switch take?
Usually two to six weeks from a signed contract. There is no engineer visit and no interruption to your supply — your next bill simply arrives from the new retailer.
Can I switch business water in Scotland?
Yes. Scotland deregulated in 2008, so any non-household premises can choose its retailer. We compare across both the English and Scottish markets.
What is a deemed or default water contract?
The tariff a site is moved onto when there’s no negotiated contract in place — and it’s rarely the best rate available. Read the full guide to deemed tariffs.
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