In the current climate of high inflation and rocketing utility prices, every business needs to be looking to keep their costs down and save money on their overheads. If your business spends more than £5,000 per year on business water bills, then you should be looking to undertake a water audit for your business.

What is a business water audit?

A business water audit is an evaluation of the water usage, drainage costs and all factors that are associated with business water. An audit, if successful, can allow your business to claim a refund dating back up to 6 years from your water suppliers and reduce costs on future invoices.

The audit focuses on rateable value charges, environmental charges, abnormal water consumption, surface water charges, drainage charges, the water/waste tariffs and area banding tariffs.

When a water audit is undertaken, the auditor would establish the water usage patterns and identify how water can be saved throughout the company. Once the audit has been completed, the auditor would engage with the supplier and eradicate any issues that have arisen, they would also request a refund if they have found any errors or abnormalities.

There are two main types of business water audits: a water saving audit and a comprehensive audit. A water saving audit would aim to establish if the business is using too much water on the normal working day. This can be conducted by anyone at the company as they would need to go through recent bills and check that the consumption matches up with the water meter, this should also indicate how much you use in different times of the year. For example, a cricket club would use a substantial amount more water in the summer compared to the winter as the field would need a lot more water during the summer.

A comprehensive audit would an in depth evaluation of the site and water invoices. This would cover all bases for water and waste and would typically be carried out by an external professional. This would be recommended for high consumers and business that have high drainage and trade effluent charges. The Business Water Shop has a team of water experts that can help you with a comprehensive audit.

How much money can my business claim?

If your business has been overcharged historically then the claim can go back up to 6 years. For example, an overcharge of £5,000 per year over 6 years, would create a £30,000 refund. Your water bills could also be reduced moving forward if you have been found to have been overcharged as well.

What is the water audit process?

• Details - Fill in a quick online form to get the ball rolling

• Audit Analysis - The business water audit process begins when billing analysts review copies of invoices provided by your water supplier.

• Survey - If required, a surveyor visits your site to undertake a non-intrusive survey. This part of the business water audit ensures that what you are paying accurately reflects the service being provided to you.

• Report - The appointed project manager will collate all of the information from the analysts and surveyors to provide feedback detailing any issues that have been identified, and potential value for any refunds and ongoing savings.

• Implementation - The process of correcting the problems that have been identified will begin. Water companies are contacted and will liaise with your business to achieve a quick resolution. The work water suppliers do will be scrutinized to ensure savings and refunds are maximised, and ensured to make sure you receive any monies owed to you in as timely a manner as possible.

• The End Result - If problems have been identified with your water supplier and they have been corrected, then a refund is arranged for your business

If you are interested in undertaking a water audit for your business then visit www.thebusinesswatershop.co.uk or call 020 8051 7675 to speak to a water expert.