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Compare NowBusiness Water for Farms
The water bill for a large large dairy or arable farm isn’t a small line item. It’s the third biggest utility cost after gas and electricity, and it’s the one most farm managers haven’t looked at in years.
You can switch suppliers. Farms and farm businesses have had that right in England since 2017. Most haven’t used it.
This page covers where farm water costs actually come from, how farm businesses and farming groups move to a new supplier, and the places water quietly disappears without anyone noticing.
- England’s non-household water market opened to competition on 1 April 2017 under the Water Act 2014.
- Around 20 retailers are licensed by Ofwat to supply farms, farm businesses and farming groups.
- Wholesale supply still comes from regional water companies (Thames Water, Severn Trent, Yorkshire Water, and others).
- Farm businesses contract directly, farming groups can contract centrally for volume pricing, and independent farms procure via the landlord.
- Typical secondary-farm water spend runs £2,000-£8,000 a year; primaries typically £500-£1,500.
- The three biggest savings levers: surface water drainage rebates, meter validation, and tariff reviews.
Why farms pay more for water than they should
Farms have a usage profile that no template tariff fits cleanly. Dairy parlours need three washdown cycles a day. Equine yards need stable water plus hose down. Arable rotations need sprayer fill and machinery cleaning. Beef and sheep farms need trough fill and crush washdown. Each one has different peak demand, different effluent loading, and different drainage patterns.
On top of all that, farm yards drain mostly to slurry stores or filtration ditches — not the public sewer. So the surface water drainage charge that arrives every quarter is, more often than not, fundamentally wrong. Recovering historic refunds in this area has paid for new drainage infrastructure on more than one site.
The five places farms overpay
| Where farms overpay | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Surface water drainage on yards and sheds | Most yards drain to slurry stores, soakaways or attenuation ponds — not public sewer. Default billing assumes everything goes to sewer. The rebate can run into five figures. |
| Parlour washdown billed at standard commercial rate | Dairy parlours use a predictable, high-volume pattern that some retailers will tier — but only if you ask. Default tariffs charge top whack. |
| Trade effluent banding too high for actual loading | Slurry, silage effluent and dairy washings have specific consent levels. Some sites are paying for higher loading than their consent permits. |
| Borehole or rainwater capture not credited | If you have an alternative supply offsetting mains use, the metered flow should reflect it. Old contracts often don’t. |
| Equine and trough water on commercial supply tariff | Trough fill is a different demand pattern from washdown. Some retailers offer agricultural-specific tariffs, others won’t volunteer them. |
Can farms and farming groups switch water supplier?
Yes, and the mechanism is different depending on who’s signing the contract.
An farm business is its own legal entity, so it can enter a water contract directly — no council approval needed. Farming groups (farming groups) can contract centrally for every farm in the trust, which usually unlocks better volume pricing. Maintained farms sit inside the group procurement, so switching is done through the landlord rather than the individual farm.
The 12 retailers below are all licensed by Ofwat to supply non-household water in England. Pricing, service, and farm-sector experience vary — most trusts shortlist three and go to a simple comparison exercise.
Routes to procurement
Three ways operators in this sector typically bring a new water contract in. Each comes with its own trade-off between control, effort and how sharp the price lands.
Farms water FAQs
Do farms get charged differently from other commercial water users?
Some retailers offer specific agricultural tariffs, particularly for high-volume dairy or arable. Most farms are still on a default commercial tariff that doesn’t reflect their usage pattern. Worth checking before renewal.
How does surface water drainage work for farm yards?
You’re only meant to be charged for rainwater that enters the public sewer. Most farm yards drain to slurry stores, soakaways or attenuation. A drainage survey documents where everything goes — that document supports the rebate claim.
I have a borehole. Does my mains contract still matter?
Yes — most boreholes don’t cover the whole site, and any mains backup, parlour washdown or office supply is still on a commercial tariff. The contract should reflect the lower offset volume; on older contracts it usually doesn’t.
What about trade effluent consent for slurry and silage effluent?
Trade effluent consent is separate from the water supply contract but often reviewed at the same time. If your livestock numbers or slurry storage have changed materially in the last 5 years, the consent banding probably needs updating.
How long does a switch take during calving or harvest?
Two to six weeks of paperwork, no physical change at all. There’s no service interruption, no engineer visit. The wholesaler still owns and runs the pipes.
What does a farm typically save by switching?
A small mixed farm typically saves £400–£900 a year. A larger dairy or arable farm saves £900–£1,500. A farming group saves £2,000–£5,000 a year — before any historic surface drainage refunds, which can dwarf the annual savings.
How do I get a quote without commitment?
Send your most recent water bill. The SPID, annual volume and current retailer are on it. We come back within two working days with an apples-to-apples alternative quote and a flag if anything looks worth auditing historically.
