Non-domestic water retail

Defra demands focus on non-household market

Defra's strategic policy statement to Ofwat has set out expectations for the regulator to improve the non-household water market in relation to retail, new connections and developer services. This includes protections for billpayers in the event of retailer failure as well as for small, less engaged business customers.

02/02/2022

News

Environment given top priority in Ofwat’s SPS

The strategic policy statement to Ofwat, which sets out the government's priorities for the next price review in 2024, has been laid before Parliament. The document gives top priority to the environment, emphasising the need to protect and enhance waterways by reducing the impacts of discharges from combined sewer overflows and other forms of pollution.

02/02/2022

News

Water retailers told to refund credit balances

Water retailers will be required to return customers' credit balances and make them aware of the risks associated with advanced payment schemes, especially in the event of a retailer failure, under new rules. Ofwat approved the change to the non-household water retail code to add protections for business customers.

21/01/2022

News

Octopus’ Kraken platform expands into water

Kraken Technologies, the provider of Octopus Energy’s proprietary end-to-end energy services platform, has announced it is expanding into other utility sectors such as water and broadband. As part of the expansion, the company has formed a new business, Kraken Utilities, which is hiring for another 50 positions to add to its existing team of 250 people.

18/05/2022

News

Switching rebounds in business water market

The number of business customers switching their water retailer was higher in 2021/21 than the year before but has yet to rebound to pre-pandemic levels, data collated by MOSL has shown. The market operator said there was also a dip in retailer performance as some continued to face problems with the availability of meter readers.

10/05/2022

News

CCW launches credit protection campaign for businesses

CCW has launched a campaign to support water retailers to tell their customers about any credit accrued on their account and inform them of the risks as well as benefits of advance payments. The watchdog wants all business customers to be aware that in the event of retailer failure they could lose their money and will offer a communication toolkit to spread the word effectively.

03/05/2022

News

MOSL calls for incentives to roll out advanced metering

Non-household market operator MOSL has called for water companies to include metering for business customers in their water resource management plans and PR24 business plans. A report into improving metering in the sector suggested targets and incentives should be set out in the regulatory framework to ensure business customers are not overlooked in companies’ rollout plans.

05/04/2022

Analysis

Ofwat confirms changes to Thames smart metering policy

Ofwat has confirmed it has closed its investigation into whether Thames broke competition law while rolling out smart water meters for non-household customers. Concerns had been raised that retailers did not have access to essential data from meters but Thames agreed to remove data charges and alter its approach to upgrading meters

31/03/2022

News

UU proposes climate change bonus incentive

United Utilities has proposed adding a climate change-linked condition to its executive bonus scheme. It said the incentive would bring the policy in line with the company's environmental and social ambitions.

25/03/2022

News

Everflow buys offsets to become carbon neutral

Everflow has claimed to have become the first carbon neutral water company in the UK by offsetting its emissions for the water it supplies to business retail consumers until the end of 2023. In line with wholesalers, the firm is also working to achieve net zero by 2040 by minimising its carbon emissions as much as possible and offsetting the unavoidable ones through carbon removal projects.

16/03/2022

News

MOSL brings data strategy to life

MOSL has set out its plan to improve the quality, completeness and accuracy of data held in the non-household market operating system to move the market beyond long-held frictions and towards playing a significant role in wider water challenges such as scarcity and achieving net zero carbon emissions.

09/03/2022

News

How smart water meter data can help customers and net zero

Smart water meters, though not yet mandated in the UK, have the potential to provide significant benefits for the UK's drive to net zero and for customer experience. David Ainsley of Capita explores how to maximise their potential.

07/03/2022

Opinion

Water retail: Looking beyond the friction points

Water retailers speak to Utility Week about what Defra's strategic policy statement to Ofwat means for the non-household sector. Emphasising the environment and using competition to drive the market are the right calls, retailers say, but the devil will be in the detail

04/03/2022

Analysis

Ofwat confirms 0.49% retail price cap uplift

The price cap for water retailers will rise by 0.49% for two years from April to cover bad debt costs incurred in the non-household market as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and national lockdowns. Ofwat has raised the uplift from the 0.31% increase proposed in December.

28/02/2022

News

Thames to remove retailer subscription charges

Following an investigation into whether Thames Water's approach to replacing smart meters breached competition rules by hindering third-party and retailer access to consumption data, the water wholesaler has committed to remove subscription charges for data services and provide compensation where logging equipment has been lost or damaged.

15/02/2022

News

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