How to check for leaks
18/10/2018
Watertight for Winter

If your water bills are rising, and there’s no clear reason why, then you may have a leak somewhere on your site. As many leaks occur in underground pipes, they can often go undiscovered for months, which could increase your operational costs unnecessarily.

So if you do suspect that you have a leak, it pays to take action quickly – but how can you check whether your suspicions are correct? Here’s a step by step guide to checking for leaks in your business:

Before you get started

When testing for leaks, you will need to either ensure that no water is used for a prolonged period or turn the water supply off completely, so it’s best to choose a time when your premises will be empty.

Checking for external leaks

To find out whether you have a leak in your supply pipe (which runs between your stop tap and your water meter), simply:

  1. Locate your water meter. If you’re working on a larger site, your meter is likely to be located underground in a specific meter chamber, or it may be in a dedicated meter house or plant room. Smaller sites may have internal water meters, which will be found close to where the water pipe enters the premises.
  2. Find your internal stop tap, which should be close to where the service pipe enters your premises, and turn it clockwise to close it.
  3. Take a meter reading, then take a second reading around an hour later.

Has the meter reading changed? If it has, then you have a leak in your supply pipe.

Checking for internal leaks

Don’t assume that you’d know if there were any water leaks inside your business – some leaks can be difficult to detect, such as cisterns that leak into the toilet bowl. To check for internal leaks, you need to:

  1. Turn off any internal appliances that use water, such as taps and dishwashers. Don’t forget to turn off your central heating!
  2. Leave the internal stop tap on and take a meter reading before you leave.
  3. When you return in the morning, take another meter reading.

If the reading is the same, then you don’t have an internal leak, but if it’s different, it’s likely that you have a leak somewhere within your building.

What next?

If you find that you have an internal or external leak, you should act quickly to ensure that you’re not paying more than you should be for your water. Seek professional help from a qualified plumber as soon as possible.

Be aware that if the leak is on your premises, then it is your responsibility to fix it and you are responsible for any water lost. However, if the leak is on the other side of the meter, contact your local wholesale water supplier to get it repaired.

At SES Business Water, we’re keen to help our customers with all their water-related challenges. Visit our Insight page for more handy tips on how to manage your business water.
How can businesses champion water stewardship?
24/09/2018
Water efficiency

Water is crucial to businesses of all shapes and sizes. At the very least, we need water to heat, cool and clean our sites, and with demand growing, our limited water supply is becoming increasingly stretched. It’s perhaps not surprising, then, that businesses are starting to see water as a real business priority.

While water scarcity is a potentially serious challenge facing us all, it’s encouraging to see that many businesses are now making a real effort to become water stewards and manage the water they use in a sustainable way. At SES Business Water, we know just how precious water is as a resource, so we hope that we will continue to see more businesses taking a proactive approach to their water consumption.   

The tide is turning

Typically, water has been a lower priority for the majority of organisations than other utilities – most organisations have an energy efficiency plan in place, for example, while water efficiency plans are much less likely - but it appears that attitudes are changing.

CDP, formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project, runs a global disclosure system that allows companies, cities and regions to measure and manage their environmental impacts. In their latest Global Water Report, they found that more companies than ever before are disclosing their water footprint through CDP – 2,025 organisations did so in 2017, which is an increase of 41% from 2016.

The report revealed that the number of companies that are integrating water quality into their risk assessments has risen by 55% since 2015. CDP also ranks businesses according to their water management, and it’s encouraging to hear that a record number of organisations – 74 in total - achieved a score of ‘A’ on their disclosure.

Becoming a water steward

Don’t get left behind when it comes to taking a fresh approach to your water management – get started now so you can start seeing the benefits as soon as possible. Water stewardship doesn’t have to be difficult – here are our top tips:

1 - Make a public pledge

CDP isn’t the only way to publicly disclose your water footprint. Sixty organisations, including household names like Sainsburys and the National Trust, have signed the Catchment Management Declaration, which aims to help businesses to align their sustainability strategies with the water targets in the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan. Those that have signed the declaration have committed to progressing sustainable water management and increasing citizens’ awareness of their role in water stewardship.

By making a public pledge like this, you may find that you’re more motivated to become more water efficient, and it could also set you apart from your competitors. You don’t have to make a pledge on a grand scale, such as through the CDP or CMD, if you don’t want to – simply declaring your intentions on social media, and showing how you’re acting on them, can be just as effective!

2 - Implement water efficiency measures

No matter how big or small your business is, it’s likely that you can improve your water efficiency. From small changes, like placing displacement devices in your toilets, to bigger investments such as installing a greywater recycling system, there are water efficiency solutions for every budget.

We’ve also got lots of water efficiency resources to inspire you to become more water savvy! Our Water Efficiency Guide contains lots of useful information on how you can save water at work, and you can download our Water Warrior posters to encourage your staff to get on board. Visit the Water Efficiency section of our Insight page to find out more.

3 - Encourage others to become more water efficient too

Once your organisation is well on its way to water stewardship, you should start spreading the word and encouraging others to get involved too!

When calculating your water footprint, you should include all of the water you use in your own operations, but you could go even further by including water consumption throughout your supply chain. Therefore, it makes sense for you to prompt your suppliers to start saving water too; sharing any benefits that you have gained from becoming more water efficient is a good way to do this.

You could also help your customers to save water in a number of different ways, depending on the nature of your business. If you manufacture goods, for example, you could inform your customers of the most water-efficient ways to use your products, or if you work in an establishment with customer toilets you could put up posters to educate customers on how to save water in the bathroom.

At SES Business Water, we’d like to see all of our customers become water stewards, and we’ve got lots of resources to help you do so – visit our Insight pages to find out more.
Infographic: Three ways to save water at work
07/08/2018
Water efficiency

With the ongoing summer heatwave, see how you can save water in your workplace in three simple ways.

Download PDF
Should we be concerned about running out of water?
01/08/2018
Water efficiency

As temperatures continue to soar throughout the UK, many of us aren’t complaining about the lack of the rain that typically characterises a British summer - but with greater pressure on our water supplies, we all need to make sure we’re using water wisely.

Heatwaves are such a novelty in the UK that it can be easy for us to mock hosepipe bans and dismiss recommendations to cut our water use. Since the heatwave began consumption has risen dramatically across the country, making it challenging for water companies to provide enough water to meet demand. This means that further hosepipe bans are a real possibility.

Water is a limited resource

It’s not just during heatwaves that we need to be concerned about water availability, as it’s estimated that two-thirds of the world’s population are currently facing water scarcity - the lack of available fresh water resources to meet water demand. Around 2.7 billion people are water scarce for at least one month of the year,  and it’s not just a problem facing the typically dry, arid countries you may expect. In fact, The Environment Agency has warned that England will face water shortages by 2050 unless we act now to reduce the amount of water we use and waste.

As populations continue to grow, our water use will only increase further, putting an even greater strain on our already limited water supplies.

Water-wise businesses can make a difference

Whether you work in a large office filled with employees, or a small business with a handful of staff, there are lots of small changes you can make to save water in your workplace that can make a big difference when it comes to keeping demand down.

We recommend starting by taking stock of your current consumption, which can be as simple as taking a reading of your water meter, or as involved as accounting for all of the water that is used in the production and manufacturing of your products or services, and how water is used throughout your supply chain.

Once you’ve got a clear picture of your current water usage, you can begin your journey to becoming more water efficient. Look for any obvious areas for improvement – if you have showers on site, for example, you could install water-saving shower heads, and simply placing displacement devices in the cisterns of older toilets could enable you to save up to 5,000 litres of water per year.

It’s also important (and free!) to encourage your staff to become more water-wise. Make sure your staff are fully informed on any new water efficiency measures that are introduced and consider appointing a ‘water champion’ to ensure that staff are engaging with your initiatives. Our Water Warrior posters are a great way to remind your team of the little changes they can make to save water!

Take the plunge into water efficiency today

At SES Business Water, we understand how precious water is as a limited resource, and so we’re keen to help businesses to become more water efficient in any way we can. If you’re looking to start your journey to water efficiency, we’ve created a number of resources to support you, such as:

If you would like to find out more about SES Business Water visit our website www.sesbusinesswater.co.uk
Why should water efficiency be a priority for businesses?
21/08/2017
Water efficiency

While energy efficiency plans are a key part of many organisations strategies today, there doesn’t seem to be as much focus on water efficiency. As a water retailer, we’re conscious of just how precious this resource is and we understand how vital it is to conserve it. That’s why we’re trying to ensure that saving water becomes just as much of priority as saving energy.

We want to encourage UK businesses to implement water saving measures and see how reducing their water consumption can benefit the business itself as well as wider society. Here we take a look at some of the most compelling reasons for every business to implement a water efficiency plan.

Water is a finite resource

It can be easy to take water for granted when living in the UK, as there seems to be plenty of rain and clean, safe water is readily available. But we don’t have an unlimited supply– in fact, only 2.5% of the world’s water is fresh water, and only 1% of freshwater is easily accessible.

As the world’s population continues to grow, this already limited water supply will need to be shared among even more people. The Water Resources Group predicts that global demand for freshwater will exceed supply by 40% by 2030[i]. This isn’t just a problem for developing countries either; in the South East of England, there’s less water available per person than the Sudan[ii]…!

It’s vital to your operations

Whether you’re a sole trader or a large multinational, water will be crucial to your day-to-day operations. Water is important to even the smallest businesses – from making tea, to flushing toilets and employers are legally required to provide their staff with clean drinking water[iii]. 

You may also be surprised at how much water is required to carry out your business activities. If you’re often on the road, for example, you’ll be using a lot of water, as producing just one litre of petrol uses between 13-27 litres of water. Even making the paper that you write or print on is a water-intensive process, with around 10 litres of water needed to produce a single A4 sheet.

It pays to save

With business rate increases testing businesses’ budgets across the UK, many will be looking to reduce their overheads. Saving water can make a real difference to your bottom line.

Clearly, the more water you save, the more cost benefits you’ll see. There are lots of water efficiency measures that you can implement at little or no expense – encouraging staff to use the short flush on the toilet, for example, or ensure the dishwasher is full before turning it on, are completely free ways to reduce overall water consumption. And many small changes can provide noticeable savings – repairing a tap washer can save around £18 a year, which may not seem like much, but if you have a number of leaky taps across multiple sites it will really add up.

Getting started

Now if you’re keen to get started saving water can benefit your business, we’ve got a range of water efficiency resources for you, including:

We’d love to hear about your successful water efficiency measures have been, so get in touch to let us know!
Innovation in the water industry
01/08/2017
Open Water

The opening of the non-domestic water market in April was the biggest change the water industry has seen since it was privatised in 1989. Now that we’re a few months in, we’re keen to maintain the momentum and we hope the industry does too, continuing the development of innovative products and services in the market. We’ve always seen the new market as a great opportunity for suppliers to provide new services for customers, and we’re looking forward to seeing how it changes the landscape of the water industry.

As a customer, you won’t have to wait years to see change – there are already several emerging solutions and technologies that are transforming the way we operate and providing us with new ways to exceed customers’ expectations. Here’s how innovation could enhance your business’s experience in the not-so-distant future…

Improved efficiency

Many businesses are realising the benefits of installing smart meters – there are currently over 800,000 smart meters in commercial sites across Britain. Smart water meters like our Automated Meter Reading (AMR) meters transmit data directly from the meter, meaning that we can provide you with more accurate bills and saving you time you would have previously spent taking manual readings.

The potential for smart meters to create more precise bills is well-known, but have you thought about how a smart meter could also help your business to become more water efficient? Our smart meters record your consumption every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, and you can view your consumption data on an online customer portal. This data is invaluable as it enables you to compare your current usage with your usage once you’ve implemented a water efficiency plan and measure your success. Find out more about how to use our smart meters to reduce your consumption here.

Easier communication

With 71% of people in the UK now owning a mobile phone[i], communication has never been easier. Whether it’s via email, social media or good old-fashioned post, there are now so many ways for us to keep in touch with our customers.

As our world becomes increasingly connected, we’re always looking for new ways to reach you. All of our customers can manage their account online, including submitting meter readings. Our online customer portal makes it easier than ever to manage your business water, as you can access it from anywhere that you can get online, 24/7. You can also benefit from our e-billing service, which means all of your bills are sent electronically and stored in one secure online location.

Greater transparency

At SES Business Water, we’re keen to provide our customers with innovative solutions to their needs, which is why we launched our Wholesale Tracker Plus product. The Wholesale Tracker Plus tracks the wholesale water rate, which is the lowest cost allowed by the Water Act, giving businesses access to the most competitive prices on the market. Businesses that choose the Wholesale Tracker Plus pay the wholesale rate and one transparent charge, based on the services they choose from SES Business Water. We’re hoping that our fellow suppliers will join us in taking a fresh perspective on the market and that we’ll see a range of new products on offer in the coming months.

If you’d like to talk to us about our Wholesale Tracker Plus product or any of our other services, get in touch today on 0203 750 9300. Not an existing SES Business Water customer, but thinking about switching to us? Give us a call on 01737 785842 to find out how we can help your business!

[i] https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/facts
Infographic: Water Efficiency in the Workplace
31/07/2017
Saving money

As a water supplier, we know just how precious water is as a natural resource. This infographic contains tips for improving water efficiency in the workplace.

Download PDF
Is your business wasting vital resources?
13/07/2017
Saving money

Whether your business is a one-man band or a large multinational, you’re probably continually looking for ways to reduce your costs and improve your bottom line. Ensuring that you and your team are as efficient as possible with your resources, from paper to water, is a great way to ensure that you’re not wasting money, and can also boost your green credentials. 

Here are some great ways to reduce different types of waste in your business:

Save paper

Many businesses are now striving to become ‘paperless’, but how can an office run without paper? While it might not be feasible for your business to stop using paper completely, cutting down on how much you use can help you make savings. Saving paper will also save water, as it takes 10 litres of water to produce just one sheet of A4 paper!

How can SES Business Water help?

  • Sign up for our e-billing service and reduce the amount of paper being sent to your office – all of your bills will be sent to you electronically and stored in a secure online location!

Save water

Water is a precious resource – while it may seem like we’re surrounded by it, parts of the UK have less water available per person than Syria, which is a desert state[i]! There are so many simple ways for your team to become more water savvy, from installing water saving devices like motion-sensing taps to making sure that the dishwasher is full before it’s turned on. Saving water doesn’t have to be expensive either, as many water-efficiency products and technologies are also covered by the Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme for water, meaning you can write off any investment in them against your taxable profits.

How can SES Business Water help?

  • If you’re making an effort to become more water efficient, the precise data that smart meters provide can help you to measure how well you’re doing – talk to us today!

Save time

Have you ever thought about whether your staff are as productive as they can be? It’s estimated that workers spend up to 31 hours a month in unproductive meetings[ii]. You could also consider introducing a working from home policy if you don’t already have one, as 91% of remote workers believe that they get more work done when they’re working remotely. Reducing your workers’ commutes will also lower your greenhouse gas footprint, and save water (as producing just one litre of petrol can use anything from 13-27 litres of water!). 

How can SES Business Water help?

  • If you’re a multi-site business, ensuring that all of your bills are paid across all of your sites can be time-consuming – cut your admin time by opting for our consolidated billing solution, which means you’ll receive just one bill for your water and waste water across all of your sites!
Get smart to become more water efficient
04/05/2017
Water efficiency

As businesses look to get to grips with utility costs or improve their sustainability credentials, smart meters are becoming a crucial tool to measure and manage consumption – there are currently over 800,000 smart meters in commercial sites across Britain. So far, the focus has largely been on gas and electricity smart meters, but did you know that smart meters are also available for your water supply?

As a water supplier, everyone at SES Business Water understands how precious water is as a natural resource. We also know that the first step to cutting costs is identifying opportunities to make reductions. That’s why we strive to support all of our customers to become more water efficient, and we have found that installing smart water meters can be really useful way to help customers that are looking to reduce their water consumption.

What is a smart water meter?

We install a type of meter called an Automated Meter Reading (AMR) meter, which transmits data directly from your water meter to our system, so you no longer need to wait for periodic meter readings or send us manual readings and you get a far more granular view of consumption across your business’ sites.

How could smart meters help your business to use less water?

Access accurate data

  • Our smart meters record your consumption every 15 minutes, 24/7 to give you precise usage data, so you can accurately predict your costs.   

Understand your consumption

  • Your consumption data is uploaded to our central system; you can access it though the online customer portal. On the portal you can view your historical water usage at-a-glance, making it easy to understand how much water your business typically uses and make informed decisions going forward.  

Make changes

  • Once you know how much water your business is using you can start to make changes within the business to become more water efficient. Your data could help here – for example, if you’re a multi-site business and you notice that one site is using significantly more water than other sites then it may be worth investigating for leaks or implementing an efficiency plan at that site first.
  • Encourage staff to get involved and start saving water today – download our Water Warrior posters for your office here. 

Assess your success

  • Make sure that your water efficiency measures are effective by keeping a close eye on the data supplied by your smart meters. While ensuring taps are turned off when you leave the office won’t make a noticeable difference overnight, a tap dripping at just one drop per second wastes 4,750 litres a year you should see a drop in your water consumption levels (and costs!) in a fairly short time.

If you’re looking to reduce your business’s water consumption and you’d like to find out more about smart meters or other measures that could help you to save water, we’d be more than happy to help you. Give the experts at SES Business Water a call on 01737 785842 today.