An overview of the none household water retail market allowing none household customers to switch water supplier

In April 2017 1.2 million businesses, charities and the public sector organisations in England were given the choice to change their water and waste water supplier.

The Open Water Market known as water market deregulation relates to the water retail market opening led by the water market regulator OFWAT, who regulate the water market in England and Wales.

MOSL the water market operator for the none household retail market of 1.2 million customers process over 90,000 transactions per day.

MOSL are responsible for the day to day operations of the water market. Working with water retailers, water wholesalers, stakeholders and customers identifying and implementing ways to improve the market for customers, retailers and the environment.

DEFRA the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs are responsible for environmental protection, food protection and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the UK and Northern Ireland.

What happens when a customer switches water supplier and transfers to a new water retailer? 

The main difference is the customer receives bills from their new water retailer at a discounted rate and if the customer has sites all over England, rather than being billed for water and waste water services from numerous water suppliers the customer receives only one consolidated bill per month which further reduces the customers internal processing and payment costs.

Nothing else really changes as the water coming from the taps is still abstracted, stored, treated and distributed by the water wholesale company serving the customers geographical area.

New water retailer.

 So how are the charges calculated  ?

The water retailers are charged by the wholesaler for their services.

The market operator MOSL is responsible for taking the wholesale tariff data provided by the wholesalers and meter readings that are provided by the retailers together with a complex set of rules defined by the industry in order to calculate what each wholesaler is owed by each retailer.

MOSL the market operator calculates the wholesale charges on a daily basis and aggregates the charges  into monthly invoices and sends them to the wholesalers and retailers.

The wholesalers then bill the retailers on the basis of these invoices.

A portion of the wholesale charges are volume based and reply on water meter readings, many water meters are not read very often so generating invoices based on actual meter readings cannot happen until sometime after the water has been used or the sewerage has been treated.

Given the large sum of money involved it is not acceptable for wholesalers to wait for water meters to be read so the market operator MOSL recalculates each monthly invoice serval times over 16 months.

Each calculation uses whatever meter readings are on hand at the time and MOSL estimates anything that is missing.

What are the benefits of switching water supplier?

There is a perception amongst many customers that there is little or nothing to be gained in terms of savings and its not worth the time or effort.

For some customers it may not be but for many it certainly is!

Lets face it, if you don’t enter the water retail market and participate you may never know!

Many things the 1.2 million customers will benefit from when you switch water supplier : –

• Reduced water and waste water costs – discounts in the region of 5% to 16% just by switching water supplier.

• Engage in water audits to identify historical overcharges going back as far as 10 years could be identified and rectified, customers will receive a refund of the overcharges and reduced charges going forwards, savings year on year! 

• Customers can take advantage and engage in water value added services to reduce water consumption and waste water discharge, through water efficiency and water leak detection.

• Indeed you may wish to switch water supplier as you have unresolved issues, now is the time to shop around and engage with the water retail market.

So how do you go about switching water supplier and choosing a new water retailer? 

If you are seeking the best value deal you can tender your water retail supply contract on the UK’s only independent, impartial business water switching site – SwitchWaterSupplier.com.

SwitchWaterSupplier.com sends your data to all water retailers in the market, those that chose to pitch for your business will submit prices and details of their added value services if required and at the end of the 60 minute process you will receive details and prices from those water retailers that bid for your contract, you make the choice and SwitchWaterSupplier.com will do the rest!

Switching made simple!

In addition SwitchWaterSupplier.com will carry out a water audit of your bills from your previous water retailer to identify any overcharges and claim money back reducing your charges going forwards.

Whoever you choose to switch whether its a water or energy broker or SwitchWaterSupplier.com- Top Tip – Check their customer code of conduct SwitchWaterSupplier.com have adopted the water regulator OFWATs Code of Conduct for your protection!