Businesses urged to take action to reduce water bills during coronavirus pandemic

If you are facing a downturn due to the Covid-19 virus, there are some things you can do to help ensure your business water bills are minimised.

Castle Water are urging all business customers to contact their water retailer and to take action to reduce the impact of Coronavirus on their finances.

Many of the water retailer’s UK customer base will be facing a downturn due to the Covid-19 virus, and there are a number of steps business customers can take to ensure their business water bills are minimised.

The company is calling on their customers to get in touch if any the following applies:

• ‘Assessed’ water charges – this means that your water bill is calculated based on the number of staff and business opening hours. If these conditions are reducing over the coming weeks and months, Castle Water can apply on behalf of its customer, to the water wholesalers, to reduce the assessment, which will ultimately reduce bills. You should contact your water retailer and complete a reassessment application.

• Customers with a water meter – The calculation of charges is typically based on the business premises’ average annual usage. Castle Water is prompting those customers that are shutting up shop, or significantly reducing business activities, to submit two meter reads at castlewater.co.uk – one month apart. The water retailer has said they will re-bill using this one-month period to determine average consumption during the downturn. Make sure to get in touch as soon as you have submitted the second read to ensure a new bill can be produced and payments adjusted as soon as possible.

• Customers paying on invoice – There are many benefits to paying business bills by Direct Debit, but particularly in the current climate, spreading payments over the next year could reduce upcoming outgoings and keep your business in the black.

• Customers closing their business (whether temporarily or permanently) – If you are one of the many unfortunate business owners required to shut down to mitigate these unforeseen circumstances, make sure you get in touch with your water retailer as soon as the decision is made. Vacant premises won’t normally incur charges (unless you are in Scotland) when water is not being used. Up-to-date contact details and a forwarding address will also ensure Castle Water can get in touch with you and keep you up to date. You should ensure you contact your water retailer when you are ready to re-open.

Should any of these apply, contact Castle Water on 01250 718700 or by emailing [email protected]

It is advised to get in touch with all utility providers, as it might be that they are also able to apply some of the above adjustments to help your business navigate the coming months.

Castle Water stresses that there are no known reasons to believe that there will be problems related to the supply or quality of water, however, if you are concerned about the risk of interruptions to your water supply, they are expertly placed to provide a standby contract for the delivery of bottled or tankered water – for current and non-existing customers.

Anyone interested in discussing this with one ofthe company’s specialist advisors, email Castle Water at [email protected].

Advice and guidance on managing your water consumption can also be found at castlewater.co.uk/services/water-management.