How to choose a business water audit provider

Billing is where most problems sit. CCW’s 2025/26 report found billing made up 48% of business complaints to retailers and 90% of those escalated to CCW. A good audit therefore starts with the bills, then moves on to the site.

Not every site needs all of it. A small office might only need the bill check and a night reading. A food factory with a trade effluent consent needs most of the table. Ask each provider which parts they’ll cover for your site and why.

Fee models differ between providers, and no single model is right for every site. What matters is understanding the one in front of you before you sign. Ask for written answers to these questions.

• Is it a fixed fee, a day rate, or a share of money recovered?
• If it’s a share, what percentage, and does it apply only to refunds or to future reductions too? For how long?
• What counts as recovered? A credit on the account, a payment, or a lower bill going forward?
• What happens if a refund is later reduced or reversed?
• Are logger hardware, installation or site visits charged separately?
• Is there a minimum fee, a cancellation charge or a notice period?

Then do the sums. A share of savings that runs for several years on a permanent reduction, such as a drainage change, can add up to more than it first appears. A fixed fee can look expensive on a site where little turns up. Work out the likely total under each model for your own site before deciding.

1. Who will visit the site, and what experience do they have with your type of premises?
2. Which wholesaler’s charges scheme will they check your bills against, and for which years?
3. How many months of bills do they need, and what else will they ask for, such as site plans or drainage drawings?
4. Will they contact your retailer for you, and what written authority do they need? Ask for it to be limited to the audit and to have an end date.
5. Will anything be submitted to your retailer or wholesaler without your approval?
6. Who owns the logger data, and can you keep access after the audit?
7. Can they show you a sample report with the client’s details removed?

Ask the same questions of every provider you speak to and compare the answers side by side.

Most providers will answer the questions above without fuss. Be cautious if you find any of the following.

• A refund figure promised before anyone has looked at your bills.
• Pressure to sign the same day, or an offer that expires within hours.
• An authority to act on your account with no end date, or one wider than the audit needs.
• A requirement to switch retailer as a condition of the audit.
• Fee terms that are vague about what counts as savings or how long fees run.
• No sample report, or a reluctance to explain how findings are evidenced.

None of these proves anything on its own. Each is a reason to ask more questions before you commit.

Every finding in the report should be traceable. For a billing error, that means the bill, the charge line, the reference in the wholesaler’s published charges and the calculation showing the difference. For a meter or leak finding, you should see dated readings, photos and, where a logger was used, the charts. Drainage findings need a site plan with the areas measured and photos showing where rainwater goes.

A good report also separates two things clearly. Confirmed errors are charges that are wrong and can be claimed back. Opportunities are changes, such as a smaller meter or new controls, that would reduce future bills but involve cost or work. If those are mixed together, ask for them to be split.

Neither an auditor nor a broker can refund you directly. You’re billed by your retailer, so claims go to the retailer, and where the charge comes from the wholesaler the retailer passes it on. Leak allowances work this way. Affinity Water’s policy says it doesn’t accept direct applications, and Wessex Water also routes claims through the retailer. For drainage, CCW suggests starting with your retailer, who can explain how the charge was worked out.

Expect it to take time. Each wholesaler has its own rules and time limits. Affinity Water, for example, wants a leak allowance claim within 12 months of the repair.

If a valid claim is refused, it becomes a complaint. CCW’s complaints policy says the company should respond within 10 working days, with a further 10 at stage two. You can then go to CCW after a final response, or after eight weeks with no reply. Our complaints guide covers the full route, including Scotland.

If you ask us, we’ll explain what we’d check for your site before asking for any bills, show you what the report looks like, and set out the terms in writing. If another provider suits you better, the checklist above still stands.

Want a quote? An address and SPID are enough to compare business water suppliers. For a bill and site check, see our business water audit.