Excellent 5* Rating
Independent UK water broker
Compare and switch your laundrette’s water supplier
Compare business water suppliers for laundrettes and dry cleaners and see how much switching could save.
Independent broker · Improved customer service · Switch handled for you
- Choose from up to 14 water suppliers
- Switch for better customer service
- UK-wide trusted supplier network
Home / Who we help / Laundrettes
Last updated August 2026
Who we help
Business Water for Laundrettes and Dry Cleaners
Few small businesses put more water through the meter than a laundrette. Every cycle draws, heats and discharges it, and the tariff decides what all of that costs.
You can switch retailer. Laundrettes have had that right in England since 2017. Most never have. This page covers where laundrette 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 shops can contract directly with retailers, and operators can contract centrally across every site. |
| Biggest savings levers | Tariff reviews on high volumes, return to sewer checks and trade effluent reviews. |
| Volumes | Commercial machines cycle all day, which makes the unit rate matter more here than in almost any other small business. |
| 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 laundrettes pay more for water than they should
The usual story on a laundrette bill is serious volume running through a tariff nobody ever chose, with a sewerage charge that assumes every litre returns to the drain. The five checks further down are where that shows up.
A laundrette’s machines cycle from open to close, and the water volume per square foot beats almost any other high street business. On volumes like these, a default unit rate that has never been compared costs real money every single week.
The discharge side has its own detail. Steam and evaporation reduce what reaches the sewer, and detergent-laden discharge from commercial machines can fall under trade effluent consent. Both belong in an accurate bill and are often missing from an inherited one.
Where it shows up
The five areas laundrettes overpay
Where laundrettes and dry cleaners overpay and why it matters.
High volumes on a never-compared tariff
Volume magnifies the unit rate. A laundrette that has never compared retailers is paying a default price on the highest usage profile on the street.
Return to sewer ignoring steam and evaporation
Dryers and hot processes send a share of every load into the air rather than the drain. A corrected return to sewer allowance reflects that on the sewerage side of the bill.
Trade effluent status never clarified
Detergent-heavy commercial discharge can require a trade effluent consent with its own banded charges. Sites are often on the wrong footing in either direction, and it is worth putting right deliberately.
Standing charges on an oversized meter
Fixed charges scale with meter size. A meter sized for a previous fit-out can carry a standing charge the current machines do not need.
Leaks and passing valves between machines
A passing inlet valve on one machine hides among a dozen others. Overnight meter readings when the shop is closed are the fastest check an owner can run.
Results
Case studies
Recovered on historic surface water drainage charges that should never have applied.
Worth knowing
Shops, launderers and who signs
The water contract follows whoever holds the supply account, which for most laundrettes is simply the operating business. Commercial laundries serving trade customers run the same way at larger scale.
Where machines discharge detergent-heavy water to sewer, the trade effluent question sits alongside the contract and is best settled at the same time. The official market rules for business customers are published by Open Water, the body that runs the market.
The market
Can laundrettes switch water supplier?
Yes. England’s non-household water market opened to competition in April 2017 and Scotland’s opened in 2008, so every laundrette and commercial laundry 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 laundrette operators 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 shop signs straight with a licensed retailer. Best for a single site that wants a sharper rate on real volume. You handle the comparison and the switch yourself.
Operator contract across sites
Multi-site operators can put every shop on one central contract with one retailer. Efficient at volume, but each site is tied to whichever retailer was 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 the machines.
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 laundrettes, dry cleaners and commercial laundries.
- 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
Laundrette water FAQs
Do laundrettes pay business water rates?
Yes. A laundrette is a non-household customer, which is the open market we operate in. The operating business holds the account and chooses the retailer.
Our volumes are huge for our size. Does that help or hurt?
It helps, if you use it. High, predictable volume is exactly what retailers price keenly for, and exactly what loses the most money on a never-compared default rate.
Do we need a trade effluent consent?
It depends on what the machines discharge and your wholesaler’s rules. Detergent-heavy commercial discharge can require one, and being on the correct footing protects the business either way.
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 on the machines.
Does hot water change the water bill?
Heating is an energy cost, but every litre heated is a litre bought and mostly a litre discharged, so water and energy efficiency travel together in this trade. Cutting rinse volumes shows up on both bills.
We run several shops. Can they go on one contract?
Yes. Retailers operate nationally, so a group can consolidate sites in different wholesaler regions onto a single retailer, one contract and one point of contact.
How do I get a quote?
Send a recent water bill for the shop. 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 effluent status or allowances.
