Water Plus has signed a deal worth £650,000 per year with vehicle servicing chain Kwik Fit, to supply water to all 831 of its sites across Scotland and England.
The deal covers 831 Kwik Fit and Stapleton’s Tyre Services sites in the UK, which are owned by parent company European Tyre Enterprises. The figure includes 83 sites in Scotland and 748 sites across England.
It is thought to have been the largest switch by number of sites for any water retailer prior to the water market in England opening to competition on 1 April.
Water Plus corporate director Tony McHardy said: “This switch came about through our personal approach – building our relationship with Kwik Fit, not only getting in touch with the company, but working hard to understand their data and offering the ability to consolidate a large portfolio of sites.
“Businesses of all sizes should be thinking about how they can benefit from the changes that were introduced on 1 April, including what they want from a retailer. But before they rush into choosing a retailer, it is important to carry out due diligence to ensure the potential supplier has the financial standing, expertise and service offering that’s right for you and your business. Get a clear view on your current spend and ask suppliers to quote on a standardised basis so you can easily compare offers.
“The benefits of this deal with European Tyre Enterprises for their sites demonstrates what other companies can get from switching.”
European Tyre Enterprises facilities manager Nigel Janes said: “The freedom to choose a single water company has created a range of benefits for our business, including cost and efficiency savings, as well as consolidated billing across most of the estate. The cost savings and reduced payment processing and administration time provided by this deal ticked all the boxes for us.”
Water Plus was formed in June last year by Severn Trent and United Utilities and is a joint venture. It is the largest business water retailer in England, serving more than 366,000 business customers.