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Home / Who we help / Retail
Last updated August 2026
Who we help
Business Water for Retail and Shopping Centres
Retail water bills are small enough to ignore and numerous enough to add up. A single shop uses little, a portfolio of units uses a lot, and both tend to run on arrangements nobody chose.
You can switch retailer. Retailers have had that right in England since 2017. Most never have. This page covers where retail water costs come from, how to switch retailer, and where overpayment usually hides.
| Wholesale supply | Comes from regional water companies (Thames Water, Severn Trent, Yorkshire Water, and others). |
|---|---|
| Contracting | Single shops can contract directly with retailers, and chains and centres can contract centrally across every unit. |
| Biggest savings levers | Deemed contract checks, portfolio consolidation and leak detection. |
| In centres | Units inside managed centres are often recharged by the landlord, in which case the centre holds the contract and the comparison happens at that level. |
| Market opened | England in 2017 and Scotland in 2008. |
| Licensed retailers | Around 20 are licensed by Ofwat to supply non-household water. |
Where the money goes
Why retail pays more for water than it should
The usual story on a retail bill is a unit that opened on deemed rates, a bill too small to question, and a portfolio where that same small bill repeats a hundred times. The five checks further down are where that shows up.
A shop’s water use is modest, which is exactly why the bill escapes attention. Deemed and default arrangements persist for years, and standing charges make up a bigger share of a small bill than anyone expects.
At portfolio level the same neglect scales. A hundred units on a hundred inherited arrangements means a hundred small overpayments, and consolidation onto one contract is where retail portfolios find their money.
Where it shows up
The five areas retail overpays
Where retail businesses overpay and why it matters.
Deemed rates from unit turnover
Retail units change hands often, and each change without a new contract leaves the unit on deemed rates. A supply that has never been chosen is rarely priced as if it had been.
Standing charges dominating small bills
On a low-usage unit the daily standing charge can outweigh the water itself. The meter size the charge is based on is worth checking, since oversized meters carry higher fixed charges.
Portfolio units on separate arrangements
A chain running every unit on its own inherited arrangement leaves money on the table, as retailers can discount on a single portfolio contract with one point of contact.
Leaks in back-of-house areas
Staff toilets and stockroom taps run unnoticed out of hours. Comparing closed-day usage with trading-day usage on the meter catches it early.
Service charge water never queried
Units recharged through a centre’s service charge rarely see the underlying bill. Water is a fair item to query at service charge review, and centres can switch the site supply like any other customer.
Results
Case studies
Consolidated multi-site billing onto a single contract with one retailer and one point of contact.
Worth knowing
Own meter or service charge, who can switch
A unit with its own meter and account is the customer and can choose its retailer. A unit inside a managed centre is often recharged through the service charge, in which case the centre holds the contract and the comparison happens at centre level.
Both routes are worth pursuing, one directly and one through the managing agent. The official market rules for business customers are published by Open Water, the body that runs the market.
The market
Can retailers switch water supplier?
Yes. England’s non-household water market opened to competition in April 2017 and Scotland’s opened in 2008, so every retail business with its own supply can choose a different water retailer. Wholesale supply still comes from your regional water company; only the retailer (the company that bills you and reads your meter) changes.
The 12 retailers below are all licensed by Ofwat to supply non-household water. Pricing, service and sector experience vary from retailer to retailer.
Choose your route
Routes to procurement
Three ways retailers and centre managers typically bring a new water contract in. Each comes with its own trade-off between control, effort and how sharp the price lands.
Direct with a retailer
The retailer signs straight with a licensed retailer. Best for a single unit with its own meter. You handle the comparison and the switch yourself.
Portfolio or centre contract
Chains and managed centres can put every unit or the whole site on one central contract. Efficient at volume, but tied to whichever retailer was chosen centrally.
Broker-led market test
A water broker compares the market for you, handles the paperwork and manages the switch from start to finish. Nothing changes in store.
Why choose The Business Water Shop
- Award-winning independent brokerage, not owned by or tied to any water retailer.
- Rated 5 stars on Google and 5 stars on Trustpilot by UK businesses.
- Experts with experience in business water for retail chains, shopping centres and independent shops.
- We compare quotes from up to 14 licensed retailers.
- We handle the whole switch, from the comparison and paperwork to the supplier contact.
- One point of contact for multi-property portfolios.
Questions
Retail water FAQs
Do shops pay business water rates?
Yes. A shop is a non-household customer, which is the open market we operate in. If the unit has its own meter and account, the business chooses the retailer.
Our bill is tiny. Is this worth doing?
For a single unit the saving is modest but so is the effort, since the check needs one recent bill. For a portfolio the same small correction repeats across every unit, which is where it becomes material.
We are in a shopping centre and pay through the service charge. What can we do?
The centre holds the contract, so the comparison happens at centre level. Raising it with the managing agent is worthwhile, and water is a fair item to query at service charge review.
Will switching disrupt anything on site?
No. A switch is paperwork rather than plumbing. There is no interruption to supply, no engineer visit and nothing changes in store.
We have an oversized meter from a previous tenant. Does it matter?
It can. Standing charges scale with meter size, so a meter sized for a previous use can carry a fixed charge the current unit does not need. Meter sizing is part of a proper review.
We run several units. Can they go on one contract?
Yes. Retailers operate nationally, so a group can consolidate sites in different wholesaler regions onto a single retailer, one contract and one point of contact.
How do I get a quote?
Send a recent water bill for the unit or portfolio. The SPID, annual volume and current retailer are all on it. We come back within two working days with an alternative quote and a flag if anything looks worth checking on deemed rates or meter sizing.
