SES Water
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1862
- HeadquartersRedhill, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
SES Water firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SES Water
- Legal name
- South West Water Limited
- Website
- https://seswater.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1862
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SES Water industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water Utility Services
- NAICS
- Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310)
- SIC
- Water Supply (4941)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Treated Drinking Water Transmission Pipelines (Bulk Conveyance) (TLAGAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Advanced Treatment & Purification Utilities (MF/UF, RO, AOP, UV) (EUANAGAD), Water Conveyance Tunnels & Large-Diameter Pressure Mains (Long-Distance) (TLAGAHAI)
Keywords
Where SES Water is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Redhill
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
SES Water business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Household Water Supply Charges: Recurring charges to residential customers for clean water supply. Includes standing charges and volume-based charges. Customers can choose unmetered (rateable value) or metered billing.
- Non-Household Wholesale Water: Wholesale water supply to business customers via authorized retailers in the non-household retail market (open since 2017). SES Water provides the physical supply while retailers handle billing.
- Developer Services: One-time charges for new water connections, infrastructure upgrades, standpipe services, and developer-related works including location of mains and lead pipe replacements.
- Plumbing and Drainage Partnership: Partnership with HomeServe offering plumbing and drainage cover to customers (50p per month in year 1 with £30 excess), generating referral/commission revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Standard household water supply with standing charge and volumetric element |
| Subscription | Annual | Water Support Scheme - 50% discount for eligible low-income customers |
| Subscription | Annual | WaterSure - Capped bill tariff for metered customers on benefits |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Non-household wholesale water charges |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Developer services and new connections |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels8 records
SES Water product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SES Water supplies 160 million litres of clean drinking water daily to over 750,000 people across 322 square miles of Surrey, Kent, and south London. The company operates a regulated water network drawing 85% from groundwater aquifers and 15% from Bough Beech Reservoir, complemented by developer services for new connections, wholesale supply to business retailers, and customer support programmes including financial hardship schemes and environmental education.
Product overview
SES Water is a regional water company operating as part of Pennon Group, supplying 160 million litres of clean water daily to over 750,000 people across 322 square miles in parts of Surrey, Kent, and south London. The company offers a unified customer service platform centered on MyAccount, supplemented by specialized services including water metering, Priority Services Register for vulnerable customers, developer services, and retailer services for business customers. Customer support encompasses multiple channels including 24/7 emergency response, online account management, payment services with hardship support schemes (Water Support, WaterSure, Breathing Space), and educational programmes like Flow Zone. The company maintains infrastructure through a network of over 3,400 km of water mains, supported by live reporting tools and incident management systems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Household Water Supply
- MyAccount Online Portal
Quantifiable outcome
- 99.5%+ water quality compliance with standards set by Drinking Water Inspectorate
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use SES Water
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SES Water technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature3 records
SES Water partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ian Christie (Chief Asset Officer)coreJoined Pennon Group as Chief Asset Officer from Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water (previously Managing Director of Water Services, Capital Delivery and Asset Planning). Role created to place asset health and performance at centre of strategic decision-making.
- HomeServeminorPlumbing and drainage cover partnership offering HomeServe's services to SES Water customers. 50p per month in year 1 with £30 excess. New customers, homeowners only. Promoted on SES Water website.
- ActionFundercoreGrant management platform managing Better Futures Fund programme (£353,000 over 5 years for SES Water customers). AI-driven platform streamlines funding process for community projects.
- Pennon GroupcoreSES Water is part of Pennon Group alongside Bristol Water, South West Water, and Bournemouth Water. £5m Better Futures Fund across group. £200m programme to help vulnerable customers. Record £3.2bn investment 2025-2030.
- The Wildlife TrustscoreBiodiversity Benchmark certification partnership. SES Water is the only water company holding this accreditation at Elmer, Fetcham, and Bough Beech sites.
- Commonwork Trust at Bore PlacecoreJoint estate management at Bough Beech. Shared purpose centres on people and nature with nature-based learning, managed access, and improved conservation management. Partly supported by Defra's Farming in Protected Landscapes funding.
- South East Rivers TrustminorPartnership to secure Farm Cluster Officer for Lower Eden Farm Cluster. Addresses agricultural water management and landscape recovery.
- Cruisers LtdminorCoach company offering competitive pricing for local schools visiting Flow Zone Education Centre. Contact: 01737 770036.
- Water Resources in the South East (WRSE) GroupcoreRegional water resources strategy group comprising six water companies, Environment Agency, Ofwat, Defra, Consumer Council for Water, and Natural England. Provides strategic options for bulk water supplies between companies.
- UK Power NetworksminorData sharing partnership for Priority Services Register. When SES Water customers are on PSR, UK Power Networks is notified to provide coordinated support.
- Defra (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs)coreFarming in Protected Landscapes funding supports Bough Beech estate management and conservation work with Commonwork Trust.
- Open WatercoreMarketplace for customers to find water retailers. Helps business customers who have not switched retailers find their current provider (SES Business Water).
- MOSL (Market Operator for Sludge and Water)coreNon-household market operator. SES Water provides retailer forms and participates in Retailer Wholesaler Group (RWG) good practice guides.
- Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI)coreIndependent regulator monitoring water quality. Reviews test results from all water companies and publishes annual reports on compliance.
- StepChange Debt CharityminorReferral partnership for debt advice services recommended to customers struggling with bill payments.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SES Water competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- South West Water: Sister company under Pennon Group, supplying clean water and wastewater services across Devon, Cornwall, and parts of Dorset. Direct UK water utility peer with identical regulatory framework (Ofwat) and shared parent group economics.
- Thames Water: Largest UK water and wastewater company, supplying water to 15 million customers across London and the Thames Valley. Direct regulatory peer under Ofwat with overlapping South East England supply territory, making it a natural comparison point for SES Water's performance.
- Affinity Water: Largest UK-only water supply company (no wastewater), serving 3.8 million customers across the South East including parts of Essex, Hertfordshire, and North London. Closest pure-play clean water peer to SES Water in terms of geography and business model.
- Severn Trent: Major Ofwat-regulated water and wastewater company serving 4.6 million customers across the Midlands and parts of Wales. Listed UK water utility peer providing benchmark regulatory and operational performance metrics.
- United Utilities: Largest listed UK water company serving 7 million customers in the North West of England. Listed Ofwat-regulated peer providing infrastructure investment benchmarks and operating cost comparisons.
- Anglian Water: Ofwat-regulated water and wastewater company serving 6 million customers in the East of England. Direct peer with comparable groundwater abstraction challenges and similar scale of infrastructure investment programmes.
- Yorkshire Water: Ofwat-regulated water and wastewater company serving 5 million customers across Yorkshire. Direct peer in the same UK regulatory framework with comparable network size and infrastructure renewal challenges.
- Bristol Water: Sister company under Pennon Group, supplying clean water to 1.2 million customers in the Bristol and surrounding region. Most directly comparable UK water utility peer in terms of group structure and regulatory positioning.
- Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water: Not-for-profit Ofwat-regulated water and wastewater company serving 3 million customers across Wales and parts of England. Peer in same regulatory framework, notable as the source of SES Water's new Group Chief Asset Officer (Ian Christie).
Broad incumbents
- Pennon Group: Listed parent company of SES Water, South West Water, Bristol Water, and Bournemouth Water. As the ultimate owner and group-level capital allocator, it is the broad incumbent that defines SES Water's strategic direction and access to group-level investment programmes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SES Water social profiles
Digital presenceSES Water compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
SES Water financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SES Water leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
SES Water funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SES Water M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SES Water
What does SES Water do?
SES Water supplies 160 million litres of clean drinking water daily to over 750,000 people across 322 square miles of Surrey, Kent, and south London. The company operates a regulated water network drawing 85% from groundwater aquifers and 15% from Bough Beech Reservoir, complemented by developer services for new connections, wholesale supply to business retailers, and customer support programmes including financial hardship schemes and environmental education.
Is SES Water a public or private company?
SES Water is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was SES Water founded?
SES Water was founded in 1862. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is SES Water based?
SES Water is headquartered in Redhill, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does SES Water make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Household Water Supply Charges are the primary driver. The others are non-Household Wholesale Water, developer Services and plumbing and Drainage Partnership.
Who are SES Water's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are South West Water, Thames Water, Affinity Water, Severn Trent, United Utilities, Anglian Water, Yorkshire Water, Bristol Water and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. Pennon Group is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does SES Water have an API?
No public API is recorded for SES Water.
What industry is SES Water in?
SES Water's product category is Water Utility Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAGAHAB, Treated Drinking Water Transmission Pipelines (Bulk Conveyance), with a secondary code of EUANAGAD, Advanced Treatment & Purification Utilities (MF/UF, RO, AOP, UV). Its NAICS code is 22131 and its SIC code is 4941.