With the deregulation of the water market the cost of your water and waste water supplies is an area where most businesses can look at to further reduce their regular outgoing costs.
Both your water charges and your sewage (or waste water) charges are based on your meter readings, which means your charges are based on what you use. Both of these charges are shown on your bill as ‘Volume charges’. Your water meter will record your water use in ‘cubic metres’ – when you look at your meter, you will see a line of black and white numbers, and red and white dials or numbers. Only the black and white numbers are used to calculate your bill, as these record cubic numbers.
In Simple terms, a cubic metre is 1,000 litres of water and water suppliers normally charge for every cubic metre (m3) of water you use in the business. To put this into context it’s useful to remember that a cubic metre provides enough water for;
- 28 showers
- 111 toilet flushes
- 3,300 cups of tea
Saving water around your business is good for the environment, and your bank balance too. So understanding how much water you use and monitoring your bills to ensure your use is not increasing will be a benefit to you.
Not letting taps run and fixing leaks may seem like small savings but over a period they can all mount up. As you pay for all the water you use, it makes good financial sense to make sure you’re not letting it leak away. Simple solutions such as checking overflows (which are those pipes which stick out through the outside walls of your building) to see if any water is dripping from them can help to identify saving opportunities. Also, modern toilet cisterns tend to overflow into the toilet bowl rather than outside, so check these carefully.
Using less water can also have a positive effect on your gas and electricity bills too. Typically Around 16% of your energy spend can be on heating water. Being efficient in the use of water is also good news for the planet, as you’re doing your bit to reduce carbon emissions.
Does rainwater from your property drain into a public sewer? Part of your bill pays for the water supplier to remove all that rainwater that falls on your property. However if your property is not connected to the public sewer to drain away your rainwater (for example, your surface water drains to a soakaway instead) there are opportunities to reduce your bill.
If you need help in obtaining great water procurement deals and assistance with reducing your water consumption then talk to your Guild Energy Account Manager who can provide you with information on all the options to consider.
