Water market opens up for business competition

From April 1, the non-household water market in England was opened to competition – meaning all businesses, public sector organisations and charities will be able to switch to another water and sewerage provider.

Customers can choose who provides their retail services – including handling customer queries and complaints, billing and meter reading.

Phil Barker, director of operations at Southern Water, said: ‘We have dedicated teams in place to support retailers and any final billing queries from non-household customers.

‘We want to make it as easy as possible for people to get in touch if they have any questions or queries about the changes to the market.

‘As the wholesaler, we’ll continue to own, manage and maintain the water and wastewater infrastructure in the area, including treatment plants and the sewerage network. So we’re still the contact for non-household customers during an emergency.’