In a few weeks, you’ll have the freedom to choose the right water supplier for your business, giving you the chance to benefit from better customer service, competitive pricing, and consider new products and services to meet your needs. Here are five key expectations you should have when choosing a new water retailer for your business.
1. An accurate contract with your agreed terms
This may seem like a given, but many businesses have been paying the wrong charges or have been on the wrong tariffs for years without knowing it. Switching supplier could provide the opportunity to rectify this – your supplier should make sure that any new contract is set up to make sure you only pay exactly what you need to.
The good news is that if there are any inaccuracies in charges, you have the right to reclaim a refund! If you switch to a new supplier, make sure you check your contract is exactly what you signed up for to avoid being charged incorrectly in the future, and be sure to check whether a health check is worth conducting to look out for historical errors that could be resolved and refunded.
How can SES help? Where we think savings could be identified, we offer a charges health check service, reviewing your bills from past and current suppliers to ensure that you haven’t been overcharged and identifying any refunds due.
2. More transparency
With increased competition in the market, suppliers will need to demonstrate greater transparency and prove that they offer true value for money in order to earn businesses’ trust. You should have total peace of mind that your water supplier is providing you with the best solution for your business, which also means understanding exactly what you’re paying for.
How can SES help? We understand that businesses need transparency, which is why we’ve launched our new Wholesale Tracker Plus product. Wholesale Tracker Plus tracks the annual wholesale rate (the lowest cost allowed by the Water Act) so you have access to the most competitive prices on the market, with a clear water management fee based on the services you’d like from us.
3. A simple way to manage your account
Managing your business water should be straightforward, so you can concentrate on your day-to-day operational tasks. It’s your supplier’s job to make it as easy as possible for you to handle your water supply and give you the information you need to make informed decisions about your consumption and charges.
How can SES help? Our online portal means that you can view your billing history at a glance 24/7, wherever you are. Large businesses will even be given their own Key Account Manager, taking the stress out of managing high consumption.
4. Consolidated billing
Water suppliers should also make it simple for businesses to pay their water and wastewater bills, but businesses with sites across different regions of the country will understand that handling multiple bills from multiple suppliers creates headaches for accounts teams and makes it difficult to take control of utility costs. One of the biggest benefits of the open water market is the ability to select one supplier for all of your business sites. Consolidating your bills – for water and wastewater, or across sites for multi-site businesses – means that you only have one bill and one set of payment terms to manage.
How can SES help? From April 1st, we’ll be able to provide you with one bill for all of your meters. So you can see a single invoiced sum for all of you water, wastewater and trade effluent charges in one document and pay one single monthly payment.
5. Support with water efficiency
The open market puts water on the business agenda and will put a renewed focus on businesses reviewing their water consumption, creating a new drive for water efficiency. If suppliers give businesses tools like our online portal, businesses will have better access to their water data and be able to understand and reduce their consumption and costs. Water is a valuable resource, and working with businesses to reduce their consumption will not only benefit businesses’ bottom lines, but also the environment.
How can SES help? We’re making it easier than ever for businesses to become more water efficient – we recommend installing smart meters so you can see how much you’re using in real time and work to bring your consumption down. Visit our hub for more of our expert tips on saving water at work.