Excellent 5* Rating
MacIntyre Academies Secures Over £35,000 in Water Refunds and Ongoing Savings
Client – MacIntyre Academiese
Industry – Education
Service Provided – Business Water Audit
The Challenge
Quest Academy asked us to review their water charges to ensure accuracy and value for money. During our initial checks, we found they were in an existing contract and unable to switch providers. However, we identified an opportunity to carry out a water audit to assess whether they were being billed correctly — with a focus on surface water drainage.
""We were really pleased with the outcome of the audit. Even though we couldn’t switch providers, the team were still able to find substantial overcharges and recover a refund we didn’t expect. It’s given us confidence in our billing and helped reduce our ongoing costs." "Business Manager, MacIntyre Academies
£35K+
Refund
£8.8K
Ongoing Saving
Zero .
Cost to the
Case study
MacIntyre Academies: £35,364 refund and £8,800 a year ongoing, with no contract change
MacIntyre Academies couldn’t switch supplier — they were mid-contract — but they wanted certainty their bills were accurate. A full water audit recovered over £35,000 of historic overcharges and £8,800 in annual ongoing savings, mostly through corrected surface water drainage charges.
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Home / Case studies / Quest Academy
Last updated August 2026
Why a mid-contract audit made sense
Quest Academy, part of the MacIntyre Academies trust, asked us to take a fresh look at their water charges. The first thing we found wasn’t a problem — it was a constraint. They were inside an existing contract and couldn’t switch retailer until renewal.
That’s where most contract reviews stop. But there’s a separate question that doesn’t depend on switching at all: are the bills you’re currently being charged actually correct? Especially around surface water drainage, where the charges are based on assumptions about how rainwater moves off your site that often haven’t been checked since the supply was set up.
The trust agreed to let us run a full audit on the basis that there was no cost unless we found something. There was something to find.
We were really pleased with the outcome of the audit. Even though we couldn’t switch providers, the team were still able to find substantial overcharges and recover a refund we didn’t expect. It’s given us confidence in our billing and helped reduce our ongoing costs.
Business Manager · MacIntyre Academies
What we did
Reviewed the historic invoice trail
We pulled the full billing history for each Quest Academy supply and ran it line by line. Anomalies, double charges and tariff misalignments stood out once they were laid out side by side.
Verified surface water drainage on site
Surface water drainage charges assume rainwater leaves your site via the public sewer. We visited each site to check that assumption physically — soakaways, attenuation, anywhere rainwater actually goes.
Pursued the supplier to refund and adjust
Once the discrepancies were documented we worked the supplier through to refunds on the historic overcharges and ongoing rate adjustments going forward.
What changed
£35,364 refund returned to the trust
Historic overcharges across the audited supplies were refunded in full. The trust didn’t have to switch supplier or wait for renewal to recover the money.
£8,800 a year in ongoing saving
Surface water drainage charges were corrected based on what was actually on site. The annual recurring saving comes from those rate adjustments holding for the life of the supply.
No cost, no switch, no disruption
The audit ran on a no-find-no-fee basis, didn’t require any contract change, and was completed alongside the trust’s normal operations.
Common questions
Can a water audit be run if you can’t switch retailer?
Yes. An audit checks whether your current bills are correct, which is a separate question to whether you can switch. Refunds and rate adjustments can be recovered from your existing supplier mid-contract.
What is surface water drainage and why does it create overcharges?
Surface water drainage charges cover the cost of rainwater leaving your site via the public sewer. Many sites — especially school estates — have soakaways, attenuation tanks, or other drainage that means rainwater isn’t actually entering the public sewer. If the charge assumes it is, you’re paying for something that isn’t happening.
How long does a school water audit usually take?
A few weeks for the desk review of invoices, plus on-site visits per supply. Refunds, when they’re due, take longer because they have to go through the supplier’s billing system.
Is there any cost or risk to the school in running an audit?
On a no-find-no-fee basis, no. The audit only costs anything if it recovers money for the school, and the fee comes out of what’s recovered rather than out of the school’s budget.
Could a similar audit work for our school, academy trust or council estate?
If you have multiple supply points, surface water drainage charges, or simply haven’t had your bills checked in a while, an audit is usually worth running. We’d start with a quick look at what you’re currently paying.
More case studies
£110,000 refund secured following a full audit of the trust’s water billing.
14 water meters consolidated onto a single 36-month contract, with over £10,000 in forecast saving.
When did your school estate last have its water bills audited?
We run audits on a no-find-no-fee basis. If your bills are accurate, you pay nothing. If they’re not, we recover what we find and you keep most of it.
