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Home / Who we help / Schools
Last updated August 2026
Who we help
Business Water for Schools
A school site uses water all day in term time and then stands nearly empty for thirteen weeks a year. Very few school water contracts reflect either half of that pattern.
You can switch retailer. Schools and academy trusts have had that right in England since 2017. Most never have. This page covers where school water costs come from, how to switch retailer, and where overpayment usually hides.
| Wholesale supply | Comes from regional water companies (Thames Water, Severn Trent, Yorkshire Water, and others). |
|---|---|
| Contracting | Single schools can contract directly with retailers, and academy trusts can contract centrally for every school in the trust. |
| Biggest savings levers | Surface water drainage rebates on grounds and playing fields, leak detection and tariff reviews. |
| Holidays | Around thirteen weeks a year the site is nearly empty, which makes out-of-term meter readings the quickest check on leaks. |
| Market opened | England in 2017 and Scotland in 2008. |
| Licensed retailers | Around 20 are licensed by Ofwat to supply non-household water. |
Where the money goes
Why schools pay more for water than they should
The usual story on a school bill is that the contract predates the current business manager, the drainage charge covers grounds that never touch the sewer, and nobody reads the meter in the holidays. The five checks further down are where that shows up.
School water use is concentrated into term-time days, with kitchens, toilets and sports facilities all drawing at once. A default commercial tariff prices the site flat across the year, and estimated billing can carry term-time usage straight through the summer.
The other quiet drain is surface water drainage. School sites carry large roofs, playgrounds and playing fields, and where fields and grounds drain to soakaways or watercourses rather than the public sewer, the default charge can be wrong for years at a time.
Where it shows up
The five areas schools overpay
Where schools overpay and why it matters.
Surface water drainage on grounds and fields
Charged on the site footprint by default, but how drainage is assessed depends on your regional wholesaler. Where playing fields and grounds drain to soakaways rather than the public sewer, the charge can be challenged, and in many wholesaler regions rebates can be backdated.
Leaks running through the holidays
An empty site should use next to no water. A leak that starts in July can run unnoticed until September. Comparing holiday readings with the same weeks last year catches it early.
Estimated billing across the year
Estimates built on term-time usage carry on through the holidays until actual readings correct them. Submitting regular readings keeps charges in line with how the site is actually used.
Old urinal and cistern controls
Uncontrolled urinal flushing runs day and night, in and out of term. Simple controls are one of the most reliable reductions on a school site and show up directly on the meter.
Trust schools on separate default tariffs
A trust running each school on its own inherited tariff leaves money on the table, as retailers can discount on a single trust-wide contract with one point of contact.
Results
Case studies
Surface water drainage audit across the estate uncovered £35,364 in refunds and £8,800 a year in ongoing savings.
Worth knowing
Schools, trusts and who signs the contract
Who can sign depends on how the school is constituted. An academy is its own legal entity and can contract directly, and a multi-academy trust can contract centrally for every school in the trust. Maintained schools usually contract through their budget with the local authority arrangement in view.
Either way the supply itself sits in the open market. The official rules on who counts as a business customer are published by Open Water, the body that runs the market, and a switch does not need anything physical to change on site.
The market
Can schools and trusts switch water supplier?
Yes. England’s non-household water market opened to competition in April 2017 and Scotland’s opened in 2008, so every school and academy trust can choose a different water retailer. Wholesale supply still comes from your regional water company; only the retailer (the company that bills you and reads your meter) changes.
The 12 retailers below are all licensed by Ofwat to supply non-household water. Pricing, service and sector experience vary from retailer to retailer.
Choose your route
Routes to procurement
Three ways schools and trusts typically bring a new water contract in. Each comes with its own trade-off between control, effort and how sharp the price lands.
Direct with a retailer
The school signs straight with a licensed retailer. Best for a single academy that wants a sharper rate. You handle the comparison and the switch yourself.
Trust-wide contract
Multi-academy trusts can put every school on one central contract with one retailer. Efficient at scale, but each school is tied to the retailer the trust has chosen.
Broker-led market test
A water broker compares the market for you, handles the paperwork and manages the switch from start to finish. Nothing changes on site.
Why choose The Business Water Shop
- Award-winning independent brokerage, not owned by or tied to any water retailer.
- Rated 5 stars on Google and 5 stars on Trustpilot by UK businesses.
- Experts with experience in business water for schools, academies and multi-academy trusts.
- We compare quotes from up to 14 licensed retailers.
- We handle the whole switch, from the comparison and paperwork to the supplier contact.
- One point of contact for multi-property portfolios.
Questions
School water FAQs
Do schools pay business water rates?
Yes. Schools are non-household customers, which is the open market we operate in. Academies and trusts hold their own contracts, and maintained schools sit within their authority arrangements.
Can the whole trust go on one contract?
Yes. A multi-academy trust can consolidate every school onto a single retailer with one contract and one point of contact, whichever wholesaler regions the schools sit in.
Our drainage charge seems high for a site that is mostly field. Is that normal?
It is common, and worth challenging. Fields and grounds that drain to soakaways or watercourses rather than the public sewer should not carry the full surface water charge, and in many wholesaler regions corrections can be backdated.
Will switching disrupt anything on site?
No. A switch is paperwork rather than plumbing. There is no interruption to supply, no engineer visit and nothing changes for pupils or staff.
When is the best time to review a school water contract?
Any time works because a switch is paperwork only, but the summer holiday is convenient. It is also the moment to take meter readings on the empty site, which is the quickest leak check a school can do.
Who fixes a burst pipe or supply problem?
The regional wholesaler still owns and maintains the network up to your boundary, whichever retailer you choose. Anything on the private side of the meter remains the school’s responsibility.
How do I get a quote?
Send a recent water bill for the school or trust. The SPID, annual volume and current retailer are all on it. We come back within two working days with an alternative quote and a flag if anything looks worth checking on drainage or estimated billing.
