When trying to cut costs, businesses tend to focus on the more obvious, such as reducing energy consumption. However, significant savings can also be made by using water more efficiently.

In this guide, we’ll take you through the average costs businesses usually face for their water supply and help you understand how you can reduce these bills to increase savings and help your business become more eco-friendly.

How Much Do Businesses Spend On Water?

It has been reported that smaller businesses can face water bills of up to £1,165 per year, whilst medium-sized businesses can be expected to pay approximately £7,950 annually.

The amount a business pays for its water supply will be reliant on its water usage and its contracted tariff. To reduce your bills, you’ll need to use water more efficiently and ensure that you are on a suitable tariff.

As of 2017, the deregulation of the water industry (Open Water Market) in England made it possible for business customers to choose their water supplier instead of being obliged to stick with their local water company.

Which Businesses Usually Spend The Most On Water?

It’s good practice for all businesses to reduce their water consumption, not only to lower costs but also for the well-being of the environment.

The following sectors typically have the highest water supply costs:

• Fruit and Vegetable Farming
• Garments and Textiles
• Meat Production
• Beverage Companies
• Automotive Manufacturer

What Can Businesses Do To Save On Water Costs?

 There are a variety of measures that could help you reduce your business’ water costs. Here are our top tips for businesses looking to save water:

1. Improve efficiency – Research suggests that the average UK business uses 30% more water than required. To prevent water wastage, you should ensure that water is not used excessively on your premises. The following simple measures can help to effectively lower the amount of water your business uses:

• Ensure that all taps are closed when they are not in use
• Select water-efficient settings for appliances such as dishwashers
• Choose lower water temperatures
• Invest in water-efficient facilities such as a low flush or dual flush toilets, urinal controls, waterless urinals and automatic or sensor taps.
• Use a rainwater harvesting device

Our water efficiency guide has more information about how to optimise your water usage.

2. Get everyone on board – Reducing water consumption in your business is a group task. You’ll need to ensure that your entire team is on board with your efforts and encourage them to reduce the amount of water they use whilst at work. To improve engagement, you could send out reports on usage data and show staff the progress that is being made. Including incentives for improvement could also help to get your staff on board. 

3. Check and fix leaks – Leaks can cause a significant amount of water wastage. You should therefore frequently check your water meter and bills for any unusual increases in consumption as this may indicate a leak. If a leak is identified, you should get it repaired as soon as possible to help reduce costs. Additionally, ensuring that members of staff are aware of where the stopcock or shut-off valve is located could help to ensure that the supply is closed promptly in the event of a water leak. 

4. Improve site infrastructure – Ensuring that your business site’s water and wastewater infrastructure are in good shape can help to prevent expensive incidents such as a burst pipe. Remember, prevention is better than a cure! 

5. Insulate – A significant amount of your utility bills will go towards heating the water that is used within your business. To help lower these costs, you could insulate pipes and tanks to keep water warm for longer. Pipe lagging can also help to reduce the risk of pipes freezing and bursting. 

6. Monitor your usage — You should use a water meter to keep an eye on your usage. This will help you identify any spikes in water use and help you pinpoint areas where you could increase efficiency to reduce costs. Smart water meters are also available and provide you with a greater insight into your business’s water usage, they also take automatic meter readings and send these directly to your supplier for more accurate billing. 

7. Switch supplier – Lastly, a great way of reducing costs is by comparing business water prices. At Love Energy Savings, we’ve helped customers save over £820,000 on their water bills. By changing to a more suitable tariff, you can reduce business costs and guarantee that you are not being overcharged.

Switching Water Supplier – How We Can Help

At Love Energy Savings, we can help you find the best supplier and water tariff for your business. We offer free water audits* and we could fix your water retail fees for up to three years.

We have great relationships within the industry, so we can offer you affordable prices. By switching water suppliers, you could achieve savings of up to 12% on your bills.

Additionally, we’ll be right by your side throughout the switching process, keeping you updated and ensuring that everything goes ahead smoothly.

Get a free quote for your business water supply today, the process can be completed in a matter of minutes!

* Free water audits are only available to businesses with annual water bills of over £1,000.

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