The deregulation of the water industry is something that England has waited eight years to initiate. In 2008, Scotland became the first country within the UK to tackle the monopoly of regional water suppliers and have since seen a sharp increase in both efficiency and customer service.
For England, April 2017 is the date scheduled for non-domestic users to be able to choose their own supplier, giving businesses the opportunity to save money in much the same way as they can with gas and electricity.
The whole market will be opened up, increasing competition amongst suppliers that in turn will hopefully lead to greater discounts and better service. Although 12 months away, many companies will be looking to independent utilities brokers, such as Energycentric, for guidance in the coming months in terms of preparation. September 2016 will be the date we can officially begin quoting and preparing for the switch process, assembling data from previous bills for our clients to ensure that maximum savings can be made.
How Will Deregulation Work?
Currently, the English water industry is dominated by regional suppliers, companies that you have no choice but to use and that therefore have little motivation to incentivise or reward their customers. By deregulating it allows smaller competitors to offer an alternative, forcing those within the market to reduce their costs, improve their service or both in an attempt to gain customer loyalty.
Scotland has led the way on this, and is already recording figures of £35 million in savings as a result of deregulation. There has been a 26% increase in customer satisfaction too, in part down to the £30 million worth of discounts that customers have received. Organisations with multiple sites that fall into different regions are also benefiting from a single point of contact with one supplier, and the ability to switch to another if disagreements are unable to be resolved.
How Can Energycentric Help?
Our reputation as a business utilities expert has allowed us to partner with a number of highly reputable water suppliers from areas across the UK. These partnerships allow us to use our collective buying power to ensure higher discounts for our clients. It is a relationship that everyone benefits from, with our clients receiving less costly charges, the supplier building a network of customers and Energycentric being able to mediate and ensure the relationship thrives.
We have also partnered with a specialist water consultant in order to help our clients challenge incorrect charges that have been wrongfully applied to previous bills as well. They are able to do this by assessing past payments and establishing whether refunds or credits should be due. Importantly with this forensic water audit, you will only ever be invoiced if an appeal has been successful and a refund has been received. If an appeal is launched but is unsuccessful there will be no cost.
So the deregulation of water is a fantastic opportunity for businesses to save money and truly put pressure on their supplier for an improved service. If you would like to know anything more about what is to come in April 2017, or the role that Energycentric will play, then please don’t hesitate to call us on 01708 765555, or email info@energycentric.co.uk.
