Business Stream

Business Stream is a water retail business in Scotland’s competitive non-domestic water market, with its headquarters in Edinburgh. It has offices in Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester. The company is a subsidiary of Scottish Water, the publicly owned utility which serves the residential water market across Scotland.

It supplies water and waste water services to an estimated 93,000 non-domestic sites in Scotland, while it also has a commercial presence in England.

Type Statutory corporation
Industry Water industry
Founded 2006
Headquarters Edinburgh, Scotland
Area served Scotland, England
Key people Susan Rice (Chairperson)
Johanna Dow (Chief Executive)
Products Non-domestic water
Recycled waste water
Services Water supply Waste water services
Website www.business-stream.co.uk

Operation in Scotland

Scotland’s non-domestic water market was opened up to competition on April 1 2008, through the Water Services etc. (Scotland) Act 2005. This made it the first country in the world to adopt competition in the water and waste water supply markets for businesses, public sector organisations and the third sector.

Having previously supplied all of Scotland’s properties with water, Scottish Water split its non-domestic arm off to serve the fledgling market. The newly formed company, called Business Stream, acted as the incumbent non-domestic water and waste water supplier serving 100% of organisations in the country.[1] Its market share continued to remain extremely high until it began to rapidly lose customers in 2013. With the announcement that its owner, the Scottish Government, will be switching to another supplier in 2015, Business Stream's market share stands to drop below 50%.

In July 2014, Business Stream reported that Scottish customers had saved £100 million on their water bills since the market opened to competition.[1]

In the summary of 2015, Business Stream undertook a voluntary redundancy programme as part of its downsizing to reflect its limited future growth potential.

Operations in England

On December 8 2011, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) published the Water for life market reform proposals, which suggested the introduction of competition to England’s non-residential water market.

Business Stream registered for a licence to compete in the English market, as reported in the Sunday Times in 2009.[2] It has since stated that it has begun working with turkey processor Bernard Matthews in England. [3]

[4][5][6]

References

  1. 1 2 "Scottish business spending £100m less on water", Utility Week, July 2 2014. Retrieved September 8 2014.
  2. ↑ Jane Bradley, "Powles plans English raids", Sunday Times, September 13 2009
  3. ↑ Peter Ranscombe, "Business Stream to supply water to Bernard Matthews", The Scotsman, March 9 2013. Retrieved September 8 2014.
  4. ↑ Water Commission - Water Services etc. (Scotland) Act 2005
  5. ↑ Water Industry Commission for Scotland – current licensees
  6. ↑ Water Industry Commission for Scotland – current licensees (retrieved July 29 2014)
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