Add checking your business water Return to Sewer charges to that little list of essential annual tasks. This simple check takes seconds and can have an immediate impact when it comes to business cost reduction.
We always look out for this charge when assisting with our customers’ bills.
This element will be itemised on your business water bill and be displayed as a percentage. If you pay trade effluent charges, it can sometimes be absorbed into this charge and may need checking with your supplier.
Most bills will have this set at 90% or 95%, which is sensible for most business types.
However, we sometimes uncover one that is set at 100%, which should always be adjusted. More commonly, it is set at the defaults listed above, but is not accurate to the operations which are taking place. A farm, for example will use water to feed crops and animals, and its return to sewer charge should be set much lower than 90%.
If you believe your return to sewer charges are incorrect, you should appeal to your water retailer. Procure Smart can do this on your behalf if you are a customer of ours.
Your supplier may decide to install a temporary submetering solution to establish the correct charge or carry out a desktop study if submetering is not appropriate or practical. A study would typically involve calculations using headcount, manufacturing baselines or industry-specific water usage guidelines.
When you should review your business’ return to sewer charges
- If you have recently moved into a premises
- If you are significantly changing your operations within your building
- If you are having renovation or building work carried out and editing or upgrading your plumbing
What types of business is this tip most likely to help?
Businesses who utilise water in their operations should make this charge a key part of their water procurement strategy.
Relevant examples include:
- Agriculture or gardening businesses
- Leisure businesses such as swimming pools or sports clubs (particularly golf)
- Construction
- Manufacturing of products which require added water or cooling of machinery
At Procure Smart, we assist our customers with enquiries of this nature. If you would like to know more about our UK-wide water procurement switching service, we can provide free, no-obligation quotes. Simply complete the form below.
