Top 10 Business Water Suppliers in the UK Ranked by Price and Service (2024 Edition)

In a competitive market, choosing the right water retailer can bring significant savings and service improvements. Since deregulation of the English water market in 2017, more than 1.2 million businesses, charities, and public-sector organisations have been eligible to select their supplier. In this in-depth article, we compare the top 10 business water suppliers in the UK based on price, service, sustainability, and innovation. Whether you’re switching for savings or support, this guide will help you find the best business water suppliers.

Why Switching Water Suppliers Makes Sense for Businesses

Switching business water suppliers is often quicker and easier than many assume. You could save between 5% and 18% annually, according to Ofwat, and many companies benefit from improved billing accuracy and better customer support.

In addition to direct savings, switching allows businesses to take control of how their consumption is monitored and managed. Some suppliers now offer advanced dashboards, smart metering integration, and environmental impact tracking, which can be especially useful for ESG-conscious firms.

How We Ranked the Top 10 Business Water Suppliers

We used a combination of the following metrics:

• Price (tariff per m³): based on average SME metered rates
• Customer service: using Ofwat complaint data and online reviews
• Sustainability initiatives: including water efficiency tools and carbon commitments
• Digital tools: access to online portals and usage tracking
• Sector adaptability: ability to support SMEs, public sector, and large-scale clients

---

1. Everflow Water

Website: everflowwater.com
Avg. Tariff: £1.96/m³
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.1/5)

Why choose Everflow?

• Automated billing
• Great SME focus
• Award-winning sustainability reporting tools
• Carbon reporting for B2B clients

Weakness: Not optimal for complex or multi-site setups

2. Water Plus

Website: water-plus.co.uk
Avg. Tariff: £2.03/m³
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.9/5)

Why choose Water Plus?

• UK’s largest business water supplier
• Strong compliance with environmental standards
• Good account management for large users
• Supports AMR and data exporting

Weakness: Portal usability can be improved

3. Business Stream

Website: business-stream.co.uk
Avg. Tariff: £2.15/m³
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.9/5)

Why choose Business Stream?

• Good for multi-site, large businesses
• Offers consolidated billing and water audits
• Tailored solutions for universities and public sector

Weakness: Higher costs for smaller businesses

4. Castle Water

Website: castlewater.co.uk
Avg. Tariff: £2.07/m³
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.6/5)

Why choose Castle Water?

• Flexible contract lengths
• Large portfolio of business clients
• Offers sustainability consultancy add-ons

Weakness: Mixed customer service reviews

5. Wave Utilities

Website: wave-utilities.co.uk
Avg. Tariff: £2.05/m³
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.8/5)

Why choose Wave?

• Excellent portal with data tracking
• Strong customer service performance
• Highly rated by CCWater
• Recommended for offices and retailers

Weakness: Availability limited in some regions

6. Source for Business

Website: sourceforbusiness.co.uk
Avg. Tariff: £2.09/m³
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.6/5)

Why choose Source for Business?

• Personalised account support
• Good regional service
• Strong with care homes and SMEs

Weakness: Not as automated as competitors

7. Clear Business

Website: clearbusiness.co.uk
Avg. Tariff: £2.08/m³
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.4/5)

Why choose Clear Business?

• SME focused, simple plans
• Offers water and energy bundles
• Competitive for businesses in North West England

Weakness: Higher service fees

8. Pennon Water Services

Website: pennon-group.co.uk
Avg. Tariff: £2.11/m³
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5/5)

Why choose Pennon?

• Experience in regulated water markets
• Good support for public sector
• Covers South West and East of England

Weakness: Less intuitive billing system

9. SES Business Water

Website: sesbusinesswater.co.uk
Avg. Tariff: £2.12/m³
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.3/5)

Why choose SES?

• Supports sustainability reporting
• Excellent local knowledge
• Regional focus around South East

Weakness: Fewer online tools

10. Veolia Water Retail UK

Website: veolia.co.uk
Avg. Tariff: Varies (custom pricing)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5/5)

Why choose Veolia?

• Deep expertise in large industrial setups
• Custom wastewater management
• Well-suited for manufacturing and food processing

Weakness: Less suitable for SMEs

---

Choosing the Best Business Water Supplier for Your Needs

When you compare business water suppliers, focus on these key elements:

• Consumption pattern: SMEs benefit from simple tariffs, large users from tailored packages
• Billing tools: Check if the portal allows you to monitor and download usage reports
• Multi-site contracts: Look for suppliers offering group billing
• Sustainability: Track carbon, wastewater, and efficiency goals
• Customer support: How quickly and effectively do they handle issues?
• Switching ease: Good suppliers handle everything post-sign-up

It’s worth noting that many of the best water suppliers now offer contracts bundled with energy or ESG consulting services. This can simplify utility management for finance and procurement teams.

How to Switch Business Water Suppliers

You can switch business water suppliers in just a few steps:

1. Get your latest bill
2. Compare current prices and services
3. Contact your preferred supplier
4. Confirm the switch (takes ~28 days)

Most suppliers will handle the transition with no disruption to service. Your pipes, water source, and pressure won’t change—only your billing, portal, and pricing.

Switching Checklist:

• ✅ Confirm contract end date
• ✅ Request quotes from 3+ providers
• ✅ Review terms, including standing charges and exit fees
• ✅ Read Ofwat and CCWater service reviews
• ✅ Schedule post-switch performance checks

Comparing Service Performance Across the Top 10

Customer experience and billing satisfaction are as important as pricing. Based on recent CCWater reports and Trustpilot reviews, the most common complaints among businesses include delayed issue resolution, incorrect billing, and difficulty accessing usage data.

Here’s how the top suppliers compare by customer support and digital service:

Supplier	Customer Support Rating	Portal Usability	Billing Accuracy	Service Speed
Everflow	★★★★☆	Excellent	Very High	Fast
Water Plus	★★★☆☆	Moderate	High	Moderate
Business Stream	★★★★☆	Good	Very High	Fast
Castle Water	★★★☆☆	Average	Moderate	Slow
Wave Utilities	★★★★☆	Excellent	High	Fast
Source for Business	★★★☆☆	Fair	Moderate	Moderate
Clear Business	★★★☆☆	Good	Moderate	Moderate
Pennon	★★★☆☆	Basic	Moderate	Moderate
SES	★★★☆☆	Basic	Moderate	Slow
Veolia	★★★☆☆	Enterprise-level	Custom	Custom

Businesses with high water consumption, seasonal use, or complex waste requirements should look beyond price and assess how suppliers perform under pressure.

What Affects Tariffs Beyond Location?

In addition to wholesale region and usage volume, business water tariffs are influenced by:

• Return to sewer (RTS) assumptions: How much of your water is estimated to re-enter the sewer system
• Trade effluent charges: If your business discharges non-domestic wastewater
• Surface and highway drainage fees: Based on the square footage of hard surface
• Consumption pattern: Higher variability can incur peak load charges

Understanding these factors gives you more negotiating power when choosing a new contract.

Should You Consider Bundled Utility Contracts?

Several retailers now offer bundled services including:

• Business electricity
• Gas
• Water
• Carbon offsetting or net zero audits

This can simplify invoice management, reduce admin time, and even unlock discounts. However, always check:

• If bundling increases your contract length
• Whether water pricing remains competitive
• The quality of service for each utility line

Companies like Everflow, Clear Business, and Castle Water offer bundling options, but verify the value by comparing separate quotes as well.

Case Example: Multi-Site SME Reduces Cost by 18%

A retail chain with 12 locations in the Midlands switched from a national wholesaler to a consolidated water account with Business Stream. Results included:

• Annual cost reduction of £4,200
• One monthly invoice for all branches
• Monthly usage reports and early leak detection alerts

This case highlights how digital tools and account consolidation can deliver real operational benefits.

Water Market Deregulation: A Brief Historical Perspective

The deregulation of the English water market in 2017 was a milestone in the utility sector. It created a competitive retail market, allowing non-household customers to choose their water and wastewater supplier. Before deregulation, businesses were tied to regional monopolies. Since the reform:

• Over 100,000 businesses have switched suppliers
• Retailers must hold a licence from Ofwat
• Wholesalers still manage infrastructure and treatment

The Water Act 2014 laid the legal groundwork, aiming to foster innovation, reduce costs, and improve service. In practice, competition has delivered mixed results. While some retailers excel, many others have struggled to scale or innovate. However, increased transparency and smarter consumption tracking have improved the experience for large water users.

Forecasting Trends: Business Water 2025–2030

Looking ahead, UK water regulation and retail competition are expected to evolve in key areas:

• Mandatory AMR rollouts for medium-sized companies
• Carbon tracking integrated into water invoices
• Greater bundling with electricity and net-zero services
• Dynamic pricing models tied to regional strain or rainfall

Additionally, climate change pressures are driving Ofwat to tighten guidelines on waste management and leakage reporting. Businesses should expect more rigorous reporting requirements by 2027.

Average Tariff Breakdown: Where Does the Money Go?

Here’s how a typical SME water bill of £2.10/m³ is distributed:

• £1.20 – Wholesale water supply
• £0.45 – Sewerage services
• £0.15 – Drainage fees
• £0.10 – Retailer margin
• £0.20 – Admin, billing, digital access

Retailers only control around 5–10% of this total, so savings depend more on added value (like efficiency tools) than margin alone.

More Sector-Specific Case Studies

Education Sector: University Saves £7,800 Through Audit

A mid-sized university in the North of England underwent a water audit after rising bills. The findings:

• 2 toilets leaking ~400L/day
• Excessive urinal flushing due to outdated timers
• RTS percentage was overestimated by 20%

After switching to Source for Business and making upgrades:

• Usage dropped by 14%
• Bills fell by £7,800 in Year 1
• Portal tools were used for monthly department-level benchmarking

Manufacturing: Plant Tracks Wash Cycle Overuse

A packaging company in Leicestershire moved to Wave Utilities and installed AMR meters on its wash line. Within three months:

• Identified a faulty solenoid valve causing excess fill
• Reduced water intensity per unit by 18%
• Avoided £5,200 in unnecessary sewerage charges

Hospitality: Hotel Chain Cuts 22% in Drainage Costs

A chain of budget hotels reviewed drainage mapping across 15 sites. Their supplier, Castle Water, flagged that 4 car parks were being charged twice due to overlapping assessments. After negotiating with the wholesaler:

• Drainage charges dropped by £3,200 per site/year
• Backdated refunds of £14,800 were secured

Comparison Table: Bundled vs. Unbundled Water Contracts

Plan Type	Billing Convenience	Potential Discount	Flexibility	Supplier Examples
Bundled (Water+Energy)	High	Medium (5–10%)	Low to Medium	Clear Business, Everflow
Unbundled (Water Only)	Medium	High (if negotiated)	High	Business Stream, Wave

Tip: Bundled works best for SMEs with fewer locations. Larger groups benefit from specialist service lines.

Tools and Resources for Better Decisions

Here are some tools to help businesses make informed supplier decisions:

• Ofwat Open Data Portal – For benchmarking
• MOSL Market Performance Dashboard – Retailer KPIs
• CCWater Complaint Reports – Compare retailer performance
• Switch-Us Business Portal – Quote platform approved for SMEs

You can also ask your prospective retailer for:

• A breakdown of charges over time
• Access to a demo account
• References from similar businesses

Final Verdict

If your priority is affordability, Everflow, Clear Business, and Castle Water are great starting points. If you need strategic support, regulatory alignment, or tailored services, Business Stream, Wave Utilities, and Veolia stand out.

With more than a dozen licensed retailers in the UK and thousands of SMEs still on default rates, reviewing your contract could lead to substantial savings and improved control.

Don’t stick with your default provider out of habit. Instead, explore, evaluate, and save.

Learn more about “Compare Business Water Suppliers ” or ” How to Switch Business Water Supplier in 5 Easy Steps “