News

H²0 Building Services step into the Water Broker arena.

H²O Building Services are leading water cost reduction experts and innovators in the UK and are now offering a unique service by advising UK companies of “switching water suppliers” this will not only give clients the best possible reduction in supply service costs from the chosen water company but the package will ensure the client receives the very best possible service and key expert advise in reducing their existing water and waste water costs and the very best advise on all water and waste water matters and a water bill validation and bureau service overseen and managed by one of the UK’s leading water management consultancies.

This unique package dependant on customer spend could potentially reduce the unit cost of water and waste water suppliers by up to 7% coupled with expert advise on water efficiency, water savings and waste water cost reduction advise  customers can expect savings of anything up to 30% with the H²O team. Working hand in hand with the customers supplier, the customer is secure in the knowledge that they are receiving the best possible market price for water and waste water services and the best possible water cost reduction consultancy team.

Richard Benyon, the Environment Minister explains – ” The change should allow a large number of businesses to seek out a more competitive water price by switching water supplier, this also highlights the governments firm commitment to assist businesses and stimulate the economy”

OFWAT CEO says – ” OFWAT welcomes the proposals lowering the threshold this will bring real benefits to over a further 20,000 commercial customers”

Dame Yve Buckland, Chair at the Consumer Council for Water says – ” This will be good news for many customers frustrated by lack of progress of competition in the water industry”

The Independent review of competition and innovation in water markets led by Professor Martin Cave in 2009 recommended reform of the Water Supply Licensing regime (the WSL) and in particular, measures to extend the scope of the regime. The review recommended that the threshold at which non-household customers were eligible to switch from their existing water company to a licensed water supplier be lowered from 50 mega-litres per annum or 5 mega-litres per annum as soon as possible and eventually zero.

The current threshold is set out in the Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended) by the Water Act 2003. The WSL regime was introduced by the Water Act 2003 and went live in December 2005, it introduced the 50 mega-litre threshold and enabled businesses and other organisations that use at least 50 mega-litres of water a year to change supplier to a new water supply licensee. The purpose of these regulations is to lower the threshold to 5 mega-litres per year.

The regime was designed to permit some customers within the sector to choose to receive their water serviced from new entrant providers that had been licensed under the WSL regime. In order for a water supply licensee to be permitted to supply the premises of a customer the following three requirements must be met: –

* The premises of the customer cannot be a household premises.

* The threshold requirement must be met i.e. the water supply licensee must expect to supply not less than 50 mega-litres of water to the premises of that customer in a year)

* The premises of the customer must not be supplied with water by another company pursuant to a water supply licence.

The change applies to appointed water companies supply systems that are wholly or mainly in England. In practise this means they follow the geographical boundaries of water companies areas of appointment rather than the common jurisdictional boundary and apply to the majority of the geographical area of England and a small minority of Wales.

Graham Mann, Senior Partner of H²O Building Services says – ” It has long been recognised strategic alliances are and will be the key to our firms success, our expertise gained over the last 30 years and our entrepreneurial approach, innovating with new product ideas and focusing on customer service enables us to stay ahead of our competitors. Working closely with the water suppliers, sharing expertise and knowledge the customer will win hands down.”