Businesses which are closed, or using less water, may not realise taking regular meter readings for their water use can mean a significant reduction in their bills.
Water bills for all businesses with meters are based on estimated use, without a recent meter read for a site. With 2021 starting with national lockdowns in England and Scotland, business water use is likely, for many sectors, to decrease.
Under current industry regulations, all charges for water and wastewater services, including fixed charges, apply as normal, and water retailers will bill businesses for these, whether sites are open or closed.
Businesses have benefited from noting meter reads to update their account:
- A gym-owner with less staff on-site and fewer gym users, provided a meter read and their bill, which was an estimate, based on past water use, reduced by £187.
- A dry-cleaners, with fewer people using the site, also provided a meter read and their bill, based on estimated use, reduced by £382 for the three-month bill period.
Jill Thorpe, Operations Director at water retailer Water Plus, said: “With the combination of Covid restrictions and the colder winter months in 2021, there’s never been a better time for businesses of all sizes to regularly check their site and their water meter, if it’s safe to, particularly those that are closed.
“Businesses being closed could mean water bills are based on estimated use as meter readers would be unable to get a reading if they attempt a visit and meters are located inside businesses.
“Providing regular meter reads means businesses would only be billed for the water they’re using, which may have dropped considerably. Business owners and bill-payers are responsible for the cost of water supplied to a site, so it’s good to take and provide regular meter readings – at least once a month – if it’s safe to access, to help reduce financial pressures.”
Here’s what to keep in mind during 2021, to help protect your business from additional avoidable costs and water issues.
- Locate your site’s stop taps – and check they’re working, so you can isolate a burst pipe – or water issue – quickly.
- Insulate your water pipework, where needed, ahead of colder weather – to reduce the chance of a burst pipe on-site – which could mean your operation grinding to a halt and having to close if you’re open.
- Make checks on your site – even if it’s closed – and look out for leaks – it’s worth encouraging employees, or security staff, to report leaks as well as dripping taps and constantly running urinals as these can waste hundreds of litres of water a day.
- Have you got a water emergency plan for your site/s? Knowing what to do and where you can get water, if it stopped suddenly, is essential to limit the impact on your operation.
Jill said: “A burst pipe on-site can lead to the loss of as much as 1,000 litres an hour, which could cost £26,000 a year, if left unattended. These bursts can also lead to damage and interruptions to supply, so keeping a look-out for leaks at business sites is worth doing.
“We know it’s been a challenging time for many businesses and our teams are here to talk about any concerns they have around their water bill. Whilst it’s important to pay water bills if businesses can, we have a number of options for organisations who have been impacted by Covid-19, including repayment schemes which reduce the impact by spreading costs over a number of months.”
Further information for businesses in England and Scotland on what to keep in mind – and support available – can be found at: https://www.water-plus.co.uk/covid-19.
