As well as Anglian, which currently holds nearly a quarter of Scottish market share, Utility Week understands that at least one other water and sewerage company (WASC) is in the process of rebranding its business retail arm.
The news follows an announcement by Northumbrian Water that it would rebrand its non-household retail business as ‘Wave’, which it hopes to establish as a “major player in the market”.
Northumbrian’s new brand will be led by managing director of business retail Lucy Darch. It retains the company’s corporate colours, and its hexagonal shape is inspired by Northumberland’s castles.
From 1 April 2017 all non-household customers in England will be able to choose their water and sewerage retailer. Currently only businesses that are supplied with more than five mega-litres of water a year can choose their water retailer.
Of the water-only companies (WOCS), Affinity Water, Bristol Water, Essex and Suffolk Water, Sutton and East Surrey Water and Cholderton and District Water all tell Utility Week they plan to remain in the market, with South East Water and Cambridge/South Staffordshire Water refusing to comment. And of the WASCs, eight of nine say they will not exit the retail market, with Southern Water saying it is “undecided”.
In January Portsmouth Water became the first to reveal that it would exit the business retail market when competition is introduced, handing the baton to Scottish supplier Castle Water. And, earlier this month, Severn Trent Water and United Utilities (UU) stated their intention to team up and create a new, separate, and yet-to-be-named retail business.
Read Utility Week’s analysis: Severn Trent and United Utilities ally: the dawn of a new era?