Veolia Water, The Water Retail Company and Invicta Water – part of the South East Water group – have all been given the go-ahead to provide water and wastewater retail services to customers in the non-household water retail market when it opens in April after Ofwat granted licences to all three companies.
Veolia Water applied for its licence in late December 2016. The company said the licence will enable it to continue providing a combination of waste, energy and water services to its existing private, public sector and industrial customers.
The Water Retail Company is an entirely new entrant to the market, set up by Lord Rupert Redesdale and former Waterwise managing director Jacob Tompkins. The company applied for its licence in November last year.
South East Water has already been granted a sewerage licence to allow it to operate in-area as South East Water Choice. The new WSSL, obtained by subsidiary Invicta Water, means the group will also be able to operate out-of-area as Water Choice.
The latest licences granted brings the total number of companies licensed for the new market to 18 – although it means South East Water effectively has two sets of licences.
A further five companies have applied to the water regulator to participate in retail market for non-domestic water retail, which will open to competition in April.