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Business Water for Property Warehouses
Most warehouses don’t use huge amounts of water day to day, but they still rely on it for the essentials that keep the site running smoothly. Water is usually needed for staff welfare facilities, routine cleaning, vehicle washdown areas, and sometimes sprinkler systems or other fire safety equipment.
On top of that, warehouses often have large roofs, yards, and loading areas, which means surface water drainage charges can play a bigger role than many operators expect. Even if overall usage feels low, these fixed charges mean warehouse water bills can still add up over the year, which is why the choice of business water supplier in the UK is often more important than it first appears.
Why warehouse water bills can be higher than expected
A common frustration for warehouse operators is receiving a water bill that doesn’t seem to line up with how much water is actually being used on site. In many cases, the issue isn’t usage at all, but the fixed charges that sit alongside it.
Standing charges and drainage fees apply whether water is flowing through the meter or not, and they can make up a large part of the total bill. For warehouses with large footprints or external hard standing, these costs can rise quickly. If the site’s been left on default tariffs for years, which happens more often than people realise, those charges may no longer be competitive compared to other business water suppliers in the market.
VAT on warehouse water bills
Water and wastewater charges for warehouses are zero-rated for VAT, which means VAT shouldn’t normally be added to standard water bills. Despite this, incorrect VAT charges do still appear on some invoices, particularly where accounts haven’t been reviewed for a long time.
If VAT’s been applied in error, it’s often possible to recover overpaid amounts by checking historic bills and raising the issue with the supplier. This is something we help warehouse operators with regularly, especially where no one has taken a close look at the account before.
Can warehouse operators switch water suppliers?
Yes, warehouse operators in England and Scotland can switch business water suppliers, and they don’t need to wait until the end of a contract to explore their options. Water market deregulation means businesses are free to choose a retailer that better suits their needs.
If you choose to switch business water suppliers or at least look into it, warehouse operators can often secure lower unit rates, review standing and drainage charges, and move onto clearer billing structures. At The Business Water Shop, we compare a wide range of commercial water suppliers to help warehouse operators find a deal that makes sense for their site.
How much can warehouses save by switching water suppliers?
How much you’ll save depends on factors like your location, the size of the warehouse, and how your current charges are set up. Warehouses that haven’t reviewed their water contract before are often paying more than they need to, particularly when it comes to standing charges and drainage fees.
Moving to a more competitive business water supplier in the UK can help bring those costs down and give you a clearer view of what you’re paying for, which can be especially useful if you’re managing multiple warehouses or distribution centres.
How The Business Water Shop can help warehouse operators
At The Business Water Shop, we help warehouse operators get a clearer handle on their water costs without adding extra admin or complexity. We know that for many warehouses, water isn’t something that gets looked at often, which is exactly why accounts can drift onto uncompetitive tariffs over time.
We work with a wide range of business water suppliers and commercial water suppliers across England and Scotland. That means we can check which retailers are available for your site, compare pricing and charges, and highlight where savings might be available. We’ll also explain what’s driving your costs, whether that’s standing charges, drainage fees, or unit rates, so everything makes sense rather than feeling like a black box.
If you decide to switch business water suppliers, we’ll manage the process for you and make sure the changeover is straightforward, with no disruption to your water supply. We can also help review billing issues, check for incorrect charges, and make sure your account is set up in a way that works for how your warehouse actually operates.
Whether you’re running a single warehouse or managing multiple distribution centres, our aim is to make water for businesses simpler, more transparent, and better value, so it’s one less thing for you to worry about. If you’d like to talk to a member of our team, you can give us a call on 020 8051 7675 or email us at contact@thebusinesswatershop.co.uk, and one of our specialists will assist you.
