United Utilities Water
Explore The United Utilities Water Market
Serving Businesses Across North West England
Operating across Greater Manchester, Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire and parts of Derbyshire?
United Utilities maintains the water and sewerage network while licensed retailers supply and bill businesses. Since the non-household water market opened in 2017, any business in the North West can now shop around for competitive retail tariffs.
With rising operating and wholesale charges and bilateral rate caps in place, your supplier is under pressure to raise prices. That creates opportunity: switching your business water supplier through Tariff.com could save you up to 40% on annual bills.
Your Business Water Rates At United Utilities
Each year, United Utilities revise their wholesale charges in accordance with their regulators. Here are a few changes for the year 2025/2026:
Metered Charges: You will be charged for your metered supply points based on consumption, plus a standing charge per water meter.
Unmeasured Supply Points: For each unmeasured supply point on a business premises, a standing charge will occur.
Fire Hydrants: Where appropriate, standard charges will be payable for the installation, maintenance, or removal of fire hydrants.
How To Choose Between Water Companies in the UK
While United Utilities is the wholesaler, there are now dozens of licensed water companies in the North West competing for your business. We compare them all to ensure you get the best rate. Ofwat has approved a regional wholesale billing increase of 23.6% for 2025/26, with water up 21.4% and wastewater 25.4%
Wholesale costs drive retail pricing, and with these shifts, businesses face higher tariffs unless they switch. Tariff.com helps you compare across retail suppliers to find better deals, drive transparency, and reduce cost exposure.
How Tariff.com Helps North West Businesses Save Money
We begin with a detailed audit of your utility usage and your bills to identify inefficiencies, mis-coded charges, or scope for better tariff structures. Once we benchmark your costs, we compare all eligible retail suppliers for your region.
From actual meter readings to contractual switch planning, we manage negotiation, onboarding, and billing transition, aiming for a seamless switch with minimal disruption.
The team at Tariff has provided Trans4orm Fitness with a fantastic service from start to finish. Following their expert advice, we opted to procure our energy long-term to protect the business from increases in prices, and as such we saved over £16,000 a year! We’re now using 100% Green Electricity too, which is important to be sustainable for our customers.
Our Account Manager Rachael has provided Elite Group with a fantastic service from start to finish. She audited and reviewed our Energy for multiple sites, aligned all of our contracts to one supplier and one end date. Rachael also forward procured our energy before the price increases, and has saved us thousands a year by doing this. I would highly recommend working with them and see how they can help your organisation!
The service we received from the Tariff team was second to none. They understood the requirements of the organisation and offered a professional service. The Tariff team were able to save us money on our energy and this was even more so important for us being a charity returning from the effects of COVID-19. I would use Tariff again!
I rarely give public testimonials, but I’d like to recommend Tariff.com as an outstanding energy consultation service. Aside from recommending Tariff.com as a company, because personal recommendations based on experiences and feedback are the strongest of all, the benefits of using Tariff.com are factual and more welcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Since the non-household water market deregulated on 1 April 2017, business customers across the North West of England can choose their water retailer. United Utilities remains the wholesaler maintaining the infrastructure, while retailers handle billing and customer service.
While savings vary, switchers often save between 5–15%, and sometimes more, depending on usage and your existing tariff structure. Tariffs differ across retailers, even within the same region, giving customers the opportunity to reduce both fixed charges and unit rates.
Yes. United Utilities offers a water efficiency incentive scheme for business retail customers. Retailers can claim a payment based on daily water savings at your site up to £3,000, when interventions reduce consumption meaningfully.
Not at all. Your physical service water delivery and wastewater treatment, continues through United Utilities. Changing suppliers only alters who manages your billing and customer support. The infrastructure and water standards remain unchanged.
United Utilities sets wholesale charges annually, with price increases often announced each April. Retailers must reflect these cost changes in their tariffs. While wholesale charges have increased significantly (sometimes over 20%), competition among retailers still delivers savings beyond default rates.
Switching is straightforward: after you sign your new contract (typically fixed-term), the transition begins. Businesses can switch up to three months before current contract expiry. There are no exit fees for changing location-based services, though differences may exist by retail provider.
What You Can Expect From Tariff
Tariff.com helps your business take control of water usage. From site surveys to expert advice, we’ll help you save money, cut waste, and manage water more efficiently.
Complete Site Survey
We’ll carry out a survey of your business to determine your water usage, providing the data you need to optimise your water bills.
Future Strategies
We’ll help your business develop a comprehensive strategy to save money and use water more efficiently.
Water Management
Our consultants can make managing your business water easier, monitoring your usage and billing on your behalf.
Expert Advice
Tariff.com can provide the expert advice your business needs to take control of your water usage and bills, ensuring supportive professionals are by your side every step of the way.
Get In Touch Today
With the potential for to save up to 40% off your business water bill, there’s no reason to delay. Tariff.com will give you the expert guidance your business.
Get a FREE energy quote with a 100% independent company, offering unbiased advice.
enquiry@tariff.com
WE CAN HELP WITH...
- Business Gas
- Business Electricity
- Business Water
- Heating Solutions
- Electronic Vehicle Charging
- Renewable Energy
- Net-Zero Solutions
- Solar Panels
