United Utilities Water

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.

Tariff.com audits your current usage and bills to identify cost-saving opportunities. From there, we assess all eligible retail suppliers, and manage the selection, contract signing, and onboarding, providing full support until billing begins under your new supplier.

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.