Affinity Water will set out market plans in September

Affinity Water will announce its plans for when the business retail market opens in September. The company has said it wants to remain in the market.

“We have been working hard to prepare for the reform of the non-household market and I can confirm that Affinity Water is planning to continue to operate in this market after April 2017,” a spokesperson told Utility Week.

“We will be communicating full details of our plans in September ahead of the opening of the shadow market on 3 October 2016.”

Affinity Water is the only incumbent English company, aside from those looking to exit, which has not applied for a water supply and sewerage licence (WSSL).

So far, Portsmouth Water, Southern Water and Thames Water have announced plans to exit the market. Scottish retailer Castle Water will take on the business customers of Portsmouth and Thames, while Southern’s customers will be handed to Scottish incumbent supplier Business Stream.

Read Utility Week’s analysis – Thames Water quits business retail – here and Q&A with Thames chief financial officer Stuart Siddall here

The total number of companies to have applied for licences since Ofwat opened the process stands at 14. The regulator has predicted as many as 40 new applications in the coming year.

Scottish players Castle Water, Business Stream, Cobalt Water and Clear Business Water have all submitted applications to participate in the English market.

Read Utility Week’s Q&A with Business Stream chief executive Johanna Dow here

English incumbents which have applied for licences are: Northumbrian Water Business – which has rebranded as Wave – Pennon Water Services, Anglian Water Business, Sutton and East Surrey Water Services, South Staffordshire Water Business, Water 2 Business, and Kelda Retail, and South East Water.

Severn Trent and United Utilities have also applied for their joint venture Water Plus, which was announced at the beginning of March. Chief executive Sue Amies-King told Utility Week that Water Plus would be “agile and innovative”, and bring in “fresh new ideas” from the new people being recruited.

Read the full Q&A with Amies-King here

Small Scottish supplier Everflow told Utility Week it is considering buying into the English market when it opens. And Veolia UK has also said it wants to grow its retail activities in the market.