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Home / Who we help / Pubs
Last updated August 2026
Who we help
Business Water for Pubs
A pub uses water front and back. Glass washing, line cleaning, the cellar, the kitchen and the toilets all draw on it through every session, and the bill rarely gets a second look.
You can switch retailer. Pubs have had that right in England since 2017, whether tied or free of tie. Most never have. This page covers where pub 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 | Free of tie and leased pubs can contract directly with retailers, and pub groups can contract centrally across the estate. |
| Biggest savings levers | Tariff reviews, return to sewer allowances and surface water drainage checks. |
| The tie | A beer tie covers what you buy from the pub company. Water sits outside it, so the choice of water retailer is yours. |
| UK pubs | Around 45,000 pubs trade across the UK, on British Beer and Pub Association figures. |
| Licensed retailers | Around 20 are licensed by Ofwat to supply non-household water. |
Where the money goes
Why pubs pay more for water than they should
The usual story on a pub bill is that the supply came with the lease, the tariff has never been chosen, and nobody has checked what the cellar and the kitchen actually send to the sewer. The five checks further down are where that shows up.
Pub water use is spread across jobs that never make it onto a spreadsheet. Glass washers cycle all session, lines get cleaned weekly, the cellar runs cooling, and the kitchen works like any restaurant. A default commercial tariff prices the lot flat, however the pub actually trades.
The wastewater side is worth a look of its own. Line cleaning water, cellar washdown and kitchen use behave differently on the sewerage calculation, and a bill that assumes nearly everything returns to the sewer can overstate the charge, especially where there is a garden or a yard draining elsewhere.
Where it shows up
The five areas pubs overpay
Where pubs overpay and why it matters.
A supply that came with the lease
Most pubs sit on whatever arrangement was in place when the tenancy started. A supply that has never been chosen is rarely priced as if it had been, and deemed rates are rarely the sharpest available.
Surface water drainage on yards and gardens
Charged on the site footprint by default, but how drainage is assessed depends on your regional wholesaler. Where the car park, yard or garden drains to soakaways rather than the public sewer, the charge can be challenged, and in many wholesaler regions rebates can be backdated.
Return to sewer assumed too high
Water in ice, cellar evaporation and garden use never reaches the sewer, yet default billing assumes most supply does. A corrected return to sewer allowance brings the sewerage side in line with how the pub actually runs.
Leaks running between sessions
A passing ballcock in the gents or a fault in the cellar runs quietly overnight and through closed days. Comparing closed-day usage with trading-day usage on the meter catches it early.
Estate pubs on separate default tariffs
A group running each site on its own inherited tariff leaves money on the table, as retailers can discount on a single estate-wide contract with one point of contact.
Results
Case studies
Recovered on historic surface water drainage charges that should never have applied.
Worth knowing
Tied, leased or free of tie, who can switch
The beer tie covers beer and sometimes other supplies bought from the pub company. Water is not part of the tie, so a tied tenant with their own water account can choose the retailer like any other business.
The exception is where the pub company or landlord holds the water contract and recharges it. In that case the conversation starts with them, and it is still worth having. The official market rules for business customers are published by Open Water, the body that runs the market.
The market
Can pubs switch water supplier?
Yes. England’s non-household water market opened to competition in April 2017 and Scotland’s opened in 2008, so every pub with its own supply 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 pubs and pub groups 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 pub signs straight with a licensed retailer. Best for a single site that wants a sharper rate. You handle the comparison and the switch yourself.
Estate or group contract
Pub groups can put the whole estate on one central contract with one retailer. Efficient at volume, but each site is tied to whichever retailer the group 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 in the cellar.
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 pubs, bars and hospitality.
- 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
Pub water FAQs
I am on a tied lease. Can I still change water supplier?
Usually, yes. The tie covers what you buy from the pub company, and water sits outside it. If the water account is in your name, the choice of retailer is yours.
Will switching disrupt service or the cellar?
No. A switch is paperwork rather than plumbing. There is no interruption to supply, no engineer visit and nothing changes in the cellar or behind the bar.
Is it worth switching for a small village pub?
Often, yes. Smaller sites tend to sit on default or deemed rates precisely because nobody has ever compared them. The check costs nothing but a recent bill.
Should the beer garden tap have its own meter?
If garden and outdoor use is meaningful, a sub-meter can support a lower sewerage calculation, since that water does not return to the sewer. Whether it pays depends on the volumes involved.
Who fixes a burst main outside the pub?
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 is the pub’s responsibility.
We run several pubs. Can they go on one contract?
Yes. Retailers operate nationally, so an estate 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 pub. 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 allowances.
