How to stop profits leaking away through higher water bills
Water and sewerage economic regulator Ofwat has announced that consumers in England and Wales will pay an average of 5.7% extra on their bills in 2012-13.
Businesses must manage their water bills carefully to avoid it becoming a drain on profitability, according to utilities management consultancy CMR, part of ENER-G Plc (www.energ.co.uk)
Stricter regulations and quality requirements have resulted in water companies steadily increasing investment to meet with these targets. Inevitably, these costs are passed on to the customer in the form of higher charges.
“Typically, water accounts for around 15 per cent to 20 per cent of a company’s overall utility expenditure, although this figure increases radically for water-intense businesses,” explained Derek Moore, Water Consultant for CMR Consultants.
To turn off the tap on leaking profits, CMR Consultants advises:
1. Monitor your water costs carefully to improve efficiency and be sure you are paying the correct level of charges.
2 . Recycle water where possible, for example collecting and reusing rainwater.
3. Use natural groundwater sources through boreholes and rivers.
4. Install water reduction savings devices and more efficient equipment
5. Pre-treat trade effluent discharge before it goes into the sewer.
6. Check for leaks.
7. Check your meter is the right size to optimise efficiency and costs.
8. Examine previous bills for overcharges.
CMR Consultants advises businesses on total water management and leak detection, as well as sundry items such as surface water drainage, meter sizes, environmental compliance and a myriad of other areas to help reduce and optimise charges. The company has years of experience in the water industry and in environmental and wastewater management solutions.
Savings can be made on all aspects of the charges raised, which include areas such as water efficiency, reduction of wastewater costs by increasing efficiency and management of discharge, environmental impact reduction and correction of invalid charges.
For further information contact CMR on 0845 026 1127, info@cmrgroup.co.uk
