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UTILITY WEEK | 21ST - 27TH JULY 2017 | 25 Operations & Assets building the reservoir. They le us a wonderful legacy that we're intent on building on for genera- tions to come. "It really is a hidden gem." The complex is one of more than 400 similar sites Severn Trent operates around the Mid- lands and in Wales. If you have an asset or project you would like to see featured in this slot, please send your pictures and details of the project to: paul.newton@fav-house.com. I n a poll of 500 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across England con- ducted by Wheatley, the UK's most experienced supplier of soware solutions for manag- ing data flows and market mes- saging in the utilities sector, we discovered that 42 per cent are unaware of the water market's deregulation. Just 2 per cent of respondents surveyed in May 2017 have switched water supplier. I think it is clear that more still needs to be done to raise awareness and promote the benefits of switching to all types of business. The results indicate that the primary driver for SME switch- ing is price, which matches customer behaviour in the wider energy sector. Fiy-eight per cent of respondents would be willing to change suppliers to someone they had never heard of, if the price was right. The survey data shows that customer service is important for future customer retention, with interest from businesses in alternative tariffing and other value-added services that support and encourage effi- cient usage to deliver sustain- able savings, ie 47 per cent of SMEs would use recycled water with support and incentives. Deregulation has neces- sitated a centralised system for the trade in water and switching activity through MOSL's CMOS. However, there is no common platform for other operational activities – from the prescribed bilateral processes and general enquir- ies through to the management of value-added services. With tight margins I would predict that effective inter-market information exchanges and efficient management of value- added services will be key to customer retention, as well as maximising alternative revenue streams. Wheatley's engagement with wholesalers has revealed that on some occasions up to 50 per cent of requests from retailers are rejected due to insufficient information. Con- sequently we have developed a relationship management solution, Emerald, which efficiently and conveniently provides a mechanism through which wholesalers, retailers and their supply chain can manage all communication, including the application of SLA's, automated validation in line with company-specific business rules and cost impact evaluation. If you consider that only 2 per cent of potential custom- ers have switched to date, imagine the operational effort required when current aware- ness campaigns build momen- tum. I think now is the time to look at solutions like Emerald that are designed specifically to ensure operational efficiency and processes that benefit the end customer. If you would like access Wheatley's survey results visit: www.wheatleyinsights.co.uk EXPERT VIEW SIMON MURRAY, WATER SOLUTIONS MANAGER, WHEATLEY Water deregulation and SMEs "In the first industry survey, one month post deregulation, almost half of England's SMEs are unaware of water market opening."