What Is The Open Water Market?
A business owner's guide to UK water deregulation. Learn how choice cuts utility costs, eliminates default tariffs, and puts control back in your hands.
What Is The Open Water Market?
The open water market is the competitive retail water market that gives businesses, charities, and public sector organisations in England and Scotland the freedom to choose their own business water supplier, rather than being locked into their regional provider. Deregulation opened Scotland in 2008 and England in 2017, breaking up regional monopolies to create the largest competitive water market in the world.
Yet years later, thousands of organisations remain on expensive default rates simply because they don’t know a choice exists. Tariff.com is here to change that.
How Does The Open Water Market Work?
The open water retail market UK works by separating water services into two distinct functions:
- Wholesalers own and maintain the physical water infrastructure, the pipes, treatment works, and networks that deliver water to your premises. You cannot switch your wholesaler; they remain your regional provider.
- Retailers handle everything customer-facing: your billing, account management, customer service, and tariff negotiations. This is where competition comes in. In England and Scotland, your business is free to choose any licensed retailer operating in your area.
Think of it exactly like commercial electricity: the physical wires and pipes remain the responsibility of your regional network operator, but you choose who buys the supply, handles the billing, and sets the unit rate.
Who Are The Licensed Water Retailers?
Below is a list of licensed business water suppliers currently serving businesses in England and Scotland.
*Please note: retailer availability varies by region. Contact Tariff.com to find out which suppliers are available in your area.
| Supplier | Retailing In |
|---|---|
| ADSM | England |
| Aimera | Scotland |
| Bluewater | Scotland |
| Brightwater | Scotland |
| Business Stream | England, Scotland |
| Castle Water | England, Scotland |
| Clear Business Water | England, Scotland |
| Commercial Water Solutions | Scotland |
| ConservAqua | England |
| Everflow Water | England, Scotland |
| First Business Water | England |
| Intelligent Business Water | Scotland |
| Olympos Water | England |
| Pinnacle Business Water | Scotland |
| SES Business Water | England, Scotland |
| Smarta Water | England |
| Source for Business | England, Scotland |
| SSWB | Scotland |
| The Water Retail Company | England, Scotland |
| Veolia | England, Scotland |
| Water 2 Business | England, Scotland |
| Waterscan | England |
| Wave | England, Scotland |
| WaterPlus | England, Scotland |
| Yu Water | England |
Why The Open Water Market Is Good For Your Business
The open water market was designed to deliver real, tangible benefits for UK businesses. By introducing competition among business water suppliers, the market drives:
Reduced Costs
Switch away from punitive default regional tariffs and force suppliers to actively compete for your contract.
Better Customer Service
Choose a supplier that offers dedicated account management, faster response times, and accurate billing.
Tailored Solutions
Retailers in the open water market offer sector-specific packages suited to your business needs.
Water Bill Validation
Switching is the perfect opportunity to audit your bills, identify overcharges, and ensure accurate business water charges going forward.
Consolidated Billing
Bring all your premises under one business water supplier and one simple bill, cutting admin and improving cost visibility.
Environmental Benefits
Reduce water consumption and support your net-zero goals with efficiency services from your new supplier.
We Compare The Market We audit your current bills and compare quotes from all licensed business water suppliers to find the best deal for your business.
We Manage The Switch Once you've chosen your new supplier, we handle all the paperwork and liaise with your old and new retailers, with no disruption to your water supply.
Ongoing Support We stay on hand after your switch, monitoring your bills and providing continued advice whenever you need it.
Why Choose Tariff.com?
At Tariff.com, we’ve helped businesses across the UK navigate the open water market and secure better business water deals. We carry out a free site survey and water bill validation to identify any overcharges before we even begin comparing the market.
We find the most competitive rates for your business, manage the entire switch from start to finish, and assign you a dedicated account manager to support you throughout.
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 About The Open Water Market
Yes. Any non-household customer in England or Scotland is eligible to compare and switch their business water retailer. This includes:
- Businesses of all sizes: from sole traders and SMEs to large enterprises
- Charities and not-for-profit organisations
- Public sector organisations: including schools, NHS trusts, and local councils
- Multi-site businesses: who can consolidate billing under one supplier
If your business is in England or Scotland and receives a commercial water bill, you are almost certainly eligible to compare and switch business water provider today.
Savings vary depending on your current tariff, usage, and location. Many businesses find they can make meaningful savings by switching to a more competitive retailer. Get in touch with Tariff.com for a free comparison.
Wales has not fully deregulated its water market. However, very large water users in Wales (over 50 million cubic litres per year) may have some degree of retail choice. Contact Tariff.com to discuss your eligibility.
Despite the open water market launching in 2017, many business owners are still unaware they have the choice. As a result, a large number continue to pay out-of-contract rates with their default regional provider without realising they could be on a better deal.
No. Switching retailer does not affect your physical water supply. Your water still flows through the same pipes managed by the same wholesaler, only your billing and account management changes.
After your new supplier is confirmed, we’ll agree a switching date with your current provider. The process typically takes a few weeks, but we manage it all on your behalf.
MOSL (Market Operator Services Limited) is the independent, not-for-profit body that operates the business water retail market in England. It acts as the central data and transaction hub between wholesalers and retailers.
The market is regulated differently in England and Scotland. In England, Ofwat is the regulator and MOSL is the market operator. In Scotland, the market is regulated by the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) and operated by the Central Market Agency (CMA). Both markets operate independently but offer broadly similar benefits to eligible businesses.
Start Saving on Your Business Water Today
The open water market exists to give your business the power to choose, better prices, better service, and better control over your utility costs. Don't let your business keep paying more than it needs to.
Tariff.com will compare business water suppliers on your behalf, manage the full switch, and make sure you're on the best available deal.
enquiry@tariff.com
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