Water2business
Water2business is a UK non-household water and sewerage retailer serving 82,500+ business and public-sector customers across England and Scotland under joint ownership of Wessex Water and Bristol Water, offering consolidated billing, AMR smart metering, trade effluent services and water-efficiency programmes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersBristol, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Water2business does
Water2business Limited is a UK non-household water and sewerage retailer jointly owned by Wessex Water Limited and Bristol Water plc, formed in 2000 as a joint billing venture and operating across England and Scotland under the Open Water market framework. The company serves 82,500–85,000 business and public-sector customers, acting as the single customer-facing point of contact for water supply, wastewater and (where applicable) trade effluent billing, with the physical water delivered by upstream regulated wholesalers. It holds a Water Supply and Sewerage Licence with Ofwat oversight, is ISO 9001 accredited, and is the default retail company for non-household customers of its parent wholesalers Bristol Water and Wessex Water.
The core product is recurring retail water and wastewater billing augmented by a portfolio of specialist modules: Automated Meter Reading (AMR) smart metering with 15-minute telemetry, high-usage alarms and multi-site dashboards; UKAS-accredited trade effluent sampling, Mogden-formula billing, MCerts flow measurement and consent support; drainage CCTV surveys and CAD mapping; water audits and benchmarking; emergency water and continuity planning; leak detection support; and a vulnerability and complaints programme. The online portal consolidates multi-site bills, paperless invoicing, Direct Debit management and meter-reading submission, with billing operations executed via Pelican Business Services (Bristol Wessex Billing Services Limited), a sister joint-venture billing engine shared with the parents.
Revenue is generated through a mix of subscription/recurring retail charges, usage-based metered consumption and trade effluent charges (Mogden formula), hardware sales/leasing of AMR meters and water-saving devices, and quoted professional services such as audits, consultancy and drainage surveys. Pricing is anchored to wholesaler charges plus CPIH for default retail tariffs and is quote-based for AMR and specialist services. Go-to-market combines inside sales (0345 contact centre), dedicated enterprise account management for high-value customers, a self-serve online quote and switch flow for SMBs, and event-driven marketing (e.g., Young Water Dragons sponsorship). The company has held the #1 MOSL Market Performance Standards ranking among large retailers for six consecutive years (record 97.2% score in 2024), maintains a market-leading 4.9/5 Trustpilot score, and achieved DEFRA-aligned carbon neutrality in 2024.
Water2business firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Water2business
- Legal name
- water2business Limited
- Website
- https://water2business.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Water2business is a UK non-household water and sewerage retailer serving 82,500+ business and public-sector customers across England and Scotland under joint ownership of Wessex Water and Bristol Water, offering consolidated billing, AMR smart metering, trade effluent services and water-efficiency programmes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Water2business industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water Utility Services
- NAICS
- Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131)
- SIC
- Water Supply (4941)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Third-Party Water Retailing & Managed Billing Services (outsourced billing, white-label retail operations) (EUANAIAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Customer Billing & Revenue Management (rate configuration, billing, adjustments, revenue assurance) (EUANAIAC), Customer Metering, Billing & Retail Water Services (EUANAAAH)
Keywords
Where Water2business is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Water2business business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail water and sewerage billing: Recurring retail charges for water supply, wastewater and (where applicable) surface water drainage billed to non-household customers. Charges vary by wholesaler region and consumption; standing charges vary by meter size/connection. Default retail tariffs for Bristol Water and Wessex Water regions are published by water2business, with changes linked to wholesaler price changes and CPIH.
- Metered usage-based water charges: Consumption-based charges calculated from meter readings (actual or estimated) and AMR data. Volumetric rate per cubic metre for water, plus wastewater and surface water drainage proportional to metered use.
- Trade effluent charges (Mogden formula): Variable charges for businesses discharging trade effluent to the public sewer, calculated using the industry-standard Mogden formula based on volume and strength (Suspended Solids, Settled COD), with consent/volume charges set per wholesaler.
- Automated Meter Reading (AMR) hardware sales and leases: Sale or lease of AMR/smart metering hardware and ongoing monitoring/reporting services, including installation, maintenance, alarm configuration and monthly efficiency reporting.
- Specialist professional services: Quoted professional services including water audits and benchmarking, waste minimisation surveys, drainage surveys/CCTV/CAD mapping, trade effluent consultancy, training, and consent application support.
- Water saving device sales: Sale of recommended water saving devices (cistern reduction devices, urinal controls, flow restrictors, volumising showers, rainwater harvesting systems) and trade effluent sampling machines ('Sally and Sam') for hire or purchase.
- Multi-year account-managed contracts: Multi-year account management contracts for large customers such as Birmingham Airport (further two-year contract renewal), with dedicated lead account manager and KPI/SLA performance reviews.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Default retail charges for Bristol Water and Wessex Water regions |
| Subscription | Monthly | Direct Debit billing (monthly or annual) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | AMR / smart metering |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Trade effluent charges (Mogden formula) |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Multi-year contract | Water audits, waste minimisation and trade effluent consultancy |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Water2business product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Water2business is a UK non-household water and sewerage retailer that sells water supply, wastewater and trade effluent services to businesses across England and Scotland. It bills customers via consolidated multi-site invoices, provides automated meter reading (AMR), water audits, account management and specialist support including trade effluent consent, sampling and drainage surveying.
Product overview
Water2business is a UK non-household water and sewerage retailer (not a single unified software product) operating as a retail services platform built around a core billing and customer-service offering, into which several add-on services are bundled or sold separately. The core 'Water retail and billing services' offering — supported by 'Water and wastewater services' and an 'Online billing and payment' platform with consolidated multi-site billing, Direct Debit, refund handling, and online meter reading submission — sits at the centre. Around it, the company packages specialist modules including 'Account management' for larger customers, 'Water audits and benchmarking', 'Automated Meter Reading (AMR)', the 'Trade effluent services' suite (with its 'Trade effluent sampling and analysis' and 'Trade effluent flow measurement' sub-modules), 'Leak detection and repair support', 'Emergency and continuity planning', 'Water saving devices', 'Water regulations advice', 'Disconnection request service', 'Change of tenancy / moving premises service', and a customer-care layer made up of its 'Vulnerability strategy / support programme' and 'Complaints process and Guaranteed Standards Scheme payments'.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Water retail and billing services Core retail offering: billing, customer service and consolidated invoicing for non-household water and sewerage customers across England and Scotland, delivered as a retailer under the Open Water market.
- Water and wastewater services Tailored water and wastewater management for businesses, including bills and account support, water supply advice, leak detection and repair, grey water recycling advice, and wastewater and trade effluent monitoring.
- Account management
Quantifiable outcome
- 97.2% record annual performance score against MOSL Market Performance Standards
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Water2business
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Water2business technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature5 records
Water2business partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship / parent, core operational, core sustainability, minor / brand-building, core regulatory partner and flagship / reference customer.
- Bristol Waterflagship / parentCo-owner of water2business Limited. "water2business was born out of a joint billing venture created by Bristol Water and Wessex Water in 2000." Bristol Water plc is one of two joint owners of water2business. Bristol Water customers were automatically transferred to water2business on 1 April 2017 under the Open Water market.
- Wessex Waterflagship / parentCo-owner of water2business Limited, jointly with Bristol Water. Co-created the joint billing venture in 2000 that became water2business. Wessex Water customers were also automatically transferred to water2business in April 2017. Wessex Water's IT development services are also used by water2business.
- Pelican Business Services (Bristol Wessex Billing Services Limited)core operationalJointly owned by Wessex Water Services Limited and Bristol Water plc, Pelican Business Services sends out bills on behalf of water2business and processes customer information. Functions as water2business's back-office billing engine.
- Carbon Footprint Ltdcore sustainabilitySupported water2business's carbon-footprint assessment and certification of carbon neutrality in line with DEFRA guidelines. Investments channelled into local credible carbon offset projects, including tree-planting projects across the South West of England.
- Future Water Association (Young Water Dragons initiative)minor / brand-buildingwater2business sponsors the Young Water Dragons initiative created by the Future Water Association, which celebrates future talent in the water sector. The initiative has a special award category at The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Competition (March 2018 onwards). water2business also works with schools on water efficiency and wastewater compliance.
- Market Operator Services Ltd (MOSL)core regulatory partnerIndependent market operator for the non-household water market in England. Compiles the annual Market Performance Standards Report that water2business has topped for six consecutive years. MOSL also receives customer information from water2business under the Wholesale Retail Code.
- Birmingham Airportflagship / reference customerRenewed a further two-year contract for end-to-end billing of all water and sewerage services plus Trade Effluent support. Shared sustainability focus supports the airport's 2020-2025 Sustainability Strategy and reduction of water use per passenger.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Water2business competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Water Plus: UK's largest non-household water retailer, formed as a joint venture between Severn Trent and United Utilities; directly competes with water2business across England and Scotland in retail water, wastewater and trade effluent billing with multi-site, AMR-led offerings.
- Clear Business Water: UK non-household water retailer focused on SMEs with price-comparison-led switching propositions; comparable to water2business's self-serve quote-and-switch funnel and SMB segment, though with a more price-led positioning.
- Icosa Water: Smaller UK non-household water retailer that has consolidated via acquisitions in the Open Water market; competes for SME customers with online quote-and-switch tools similar to water2business's funnel.
- Castle Water: Independent, Scotland-headquartered UK non-household water retailer with a large multi-site business customer book; competes head-to-head with water2business on price-led switching in the Open Water market and on trade effluent compliance services.
- Business Stream: Scotland's largest non-household water retailer (now operating in England as well after merger into Water Plus); directly comparable as a water-only retailer offering bill management, trade effluent and water efficiency services to UK businesses.
- SES Business Water: Non-household water retailer originally tied to Sutton and East Surrey Water (now part of the Castle Water group); competes in the same SME and mid-market switching pool as water2business with bill consolidation and account management services.
- Wave (Anglian Water's retailer): Retail arm of Anglian Water serving non-household customers across multiple UK regions; directly comparable business model (utility-owned retailer) and overlap with water2business in AMR, trade effluent and multi-site billing for SMEs and enterprises.
Broad incumbents
- Severn Trent: Large integrated UK water and wastewater group whose retail JV (Water Plus) is water2business's largest direct competitor; relevant as the broader incumbent whose wholesale tariffs and customer base water2business is partially insulated from via its own parent.
- Thames Water Commercial Services: Wholesale/retail arm of one of the UK's largest water utilities; competes with water2business in the London and Thames Valley non-household market and is both a wholesaler to and competitor of retailers including water2business.
Others
- Carbon Footprint Ltd: Sustainability services partner that certified water2business's carbon-neutral status under DEFRA; adjacent enabler relevant to the company's ESG positioning rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Water2business social profiles
Digital presenceWater2business compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance9 records
Water2business financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Water2business leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Water2business funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Water2business 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 Water2business
What does Water2business do?
Water2business is a UK non-household water and sewerage retailer that sells water supply, wastewater and trade effluent services to businesses across England and Scotland. It bills customers via consolidated multi-site invoices, provides automated meter reading (AMR), water audits, account management and specialist support including trade effluent consent, sampling and drainage surveying.
Is Water2business a public or private company?
Water2business is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Water2business founded?
Water2business was founded in 2000. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Water2business based?
Water2business is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Water2business make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Retail water and sewerage billing is the primary driver. The others are metered usage-based water charges, trade effluent charges (Mogden formula), automated Meter Reading (AMR) hardware sales and leases, specialist professional services, water saving device sales and multi-year account-managed contracts.
Who are Water2business's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Water Plus, Clear Business Water, Icosa Water, Castle Water, Business Stream, SES Business Water and Wave (Anglian Water's retailer). Broad incumbents are Severn Trent and Thames Water Commercial Services. Carbon Footprint Ltd is listed as an others.
Does Water2business have an API?
No public API is recorded for Water2business.
What industry is Water2business in?
Water2business's product category is Water Utility Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUANAIAL, Third-Party Water Retailing & Managed Billing Services (outsourced billing, white-label retail operations), with a secondary code of EUANAIAC, Customer Billing & Revenue Management (rate configuration, billing, adjustments, revenue assurance). Its NAICS code is 22131 and its SIC code is 4941.