Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 26TH JANUARY - 1ST FEBRUARY 2018 | 25 Customers under many different brands in the telecoms, water, energy and broadband space, and focusing on small business customers. The company believes its top competi- tors to be the incumbent suppliers, at least when it comes to the English water market, and that there is lack of competition because of the tight margins providers face. A bigger fact – although not one acknowledged by the company – might be customer apathy. Looking at MOSL's numbers, Clear Busi- ness is the fourth most successful retailer in the market so far – aer Everflow, SES Busi- ness Water and Business Stream – having made a net gain of 2,816 customer supply points. The Water Retail Company • Founded: 2016 • Chief executive: Rupert Redesdale • Employees: 6 • Headquarters: London • Supply points gained: 364 The Water Retail Company is the brainchild of Energy Managers Association chief executive Lord Rupert Redesdale and former Water- wise managing director Jacob Tompkins. The company's primary focus is on helping larger organisations save water – and, therefore, money – through improved efficiency measures. "Our approach is very straightforward," says chief technology officer Tompkins. "No complicated contracts, no spend-to-save options, no fancy websites. We simply offer a wholesale charge plus percentage model and as part of that we do water efficiency and implement technology for free." One of the Water Retail Company's aims, set out when it started up, was to gain 20 businesses in the first year. According to MOSL data, it has gained 364 supply points. However, it is impossible to translate this into customer numbers. The firm has a tar- get to secure £30 million of turnover in its first year, £100 million in its second year and £200 million in year three. The company's founders are outspo- ken critics of the retail market. Redesdale claimed, before the market opened, that it would be a "damp squib". He also insisted the 36,000 switches reported by MOSL in its first quarterly report "is not success". First Business Water • Founded: 2017 • Employees: 8 • Managing director: Nish Dattani • Headquarters: London • Supply points gained: 6 First Business Water evolved from energy and water effi- ciency consultancy Green Assessors, which works with businesses to help reduce their energy consumption. Managing director Nish Dattani said when the company was granted its licence late last year that, having evolved from a background in energy efficiency, sustainability is "at the core of our company values". He said: "We not only want to supply water but empower businesses to use water more efficiently." Dattani tells Water.Retail the company is investing in innovative tools and soware that will "allow customers to understand and benchmark their usage against industry standards". Gaining a water supply and sew- erage licence was the first step in the firm's journey to become the "UK's leading water retailer". The latest figures published by MOSL show that First Business Water has won 6 supply points in the market so far. Asked if the company has any plans to operate in other markets, Dattani tells Water.Retail it is "open to all opportunities in the future". However, he adds, "at present, our prior- ity is to do our best to serve customers in the water market, listen to them, and help them benefit from competitive pricing and enhanced customer service". Yü Water • Founded: 2013 • Parent company: Yü Group • Employees: 105 (Yü Group) • Chief executive: Bobby Kalar • Headquarters: Nottingham • Supply points gained: 0 Yü Water is the latest addi- tion to the Yü Group portfo- lio. The Nottingham-based business recently received its water supply licence from Ofwat. The company is too new to have gained any customers yet. It is planning to commence supply to selected business customers in spring 2018, ahead of a wider launch later in the year. Yü Group describes itself as a "disruptive brand" and says it is fast gaining a reputa- tion as a "supplier of excellence" in the commercial gas and power markets. Chief executive Bobby Kalar says the company is already "making itself known as one of the fastest growing business energy suppliers in the UK". "The launch of Yü Water will allow Yü Group to extend its principles of excellent service and competitive prices into the busi- ness water market," he tells Water.Retail. The plan is that Yü Water will comple- ment the group's existing commercial gas and electricity supply business, Yü Energy, and allow the firm to offer a multi-utility service to businesses, which will be able to access "bespoke utility packages across gas, electricity and water from one supplier with one point of contact to suit their individual needs". "This will make it easier for busi- nesses to manage their utilities, allowing them to focus on running their business," says Kalar. Yü Group is one of the first suppliers in the UK to offer all of these utilities under one roof. Others include Wave – a joint venture between NWG Business and Anglian Water Business – and Business Stream, as part of its partnership with Utilitywise. Aquaflow Utilities • Founded: 2017 • Managing director: Nathan Welch • Headquarters: Cardiff, Wales • Supply points gained: 0 Aquaflow Utilities is the new- est retailer to the water market, having received its licence at the beginning of January. Hailing from South Glamorgan, Wales, the retailer claims to be "committed to offering eligible businesses in England and Wales excep- tional levels of customer service, a highly competitive pricing strategy and a technol- ogy and efficiency driven approach to reduc- ing their water consumption". The group's managing director, Nathan Welch, tells Water.Retail the company will be "unswerving in its commitment to offering timely, accurate billing and to communicate clearly with its customers". Asked for his view on the number of retailers operating in the market, he says the company is "confident in its offering", and "not unduly concerned" about retailer num- bers. The company is too new to have won any customers yet. Water Retail is a fortnightly subscription publication produced by Utility Week. Get the latest news on the retail water market emailed direct to your inbox. For further information: utility-week.co.uk/water-retail

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