Retailers

Open Water

Most businesses in England have been able to choose which company (known as a retailer) supplies their water services such as account management, billing and customer service, since 2017. 

If you were a SES Water business customer and have not switched your retail service provider you will now be served by SES Business Water. Details about how to contact your retailer can be found on the Open Water website.

Open Water website

We have a Wholesale Service Desk dedicated to liaising with retailers. We aim to deliver excellent customer service to both business customers and retailers and will manage the communication of planned and unplanned work to ensure retailers are kept informed.

Our team also supports retailers to establish contracts and offer ongoing support throughout the contract period. They offer advice on internal processes, conducting periodic performance reviews, escalating issues when required and recommending improvement initiatives. The team can also advise on the additional services we offer such as meter reading or obtaining meter data from loggers. 

Charges and billing

All charges, both primary and non-primary, are published in our Wholesale Charges 2024-25 document. This includes charge rates and any specific conditions associated with our service. Invoicing for water supplied will be in accordance with the market settlement reports which are based on our wholesale charges. Invoice queries should be directed to the contact shown on the invoice. Escalations of invoice queries will be handled by the account manager.

Forms

Please use the retailer forms available on the MOSL website.

Retailer forms 

Leaks

The below provides information on how to spot a leak, what to do if you find a leak on your non household premises, as well as details of our leakage policy for retailers and non-household customers.

What are some of the tell-tale signs of a leak?  

There are several signs which might indicate a leak, these include:

• wet or damp patches in the garden during a dry spell
• some dirt, or air in the water
• some cracking in paved areas
• potholes or sinkholes appearing
• noticeable reduction in water pressure
• an unexpected increase in usage if the property has a meter

How to check for leaks at your premises

To help you locate leaks, we have provided some simple steps you can follow.
If you don’t know where your meter is located, please contact your Retailer. If you need extra help, please contact a member of our Wholesale Service Desk team using the contact details shown further down this page.

Step 1 – Don’t use any water for 30 minutes, then open your meter chamber (usually found in the footpath outside your property, or  near the internal stop valve if inside your property). Remove the polystyrene on top of the meter and any surface water that may have collected in the chamber. A sponge usually does the trick

Step 2 - To help make sure you're looking at the correct water meter, turn the external stop tap off and turn on a tap inside the property. If no water comes out of your tap, this is your meter

Step 3 - Turn the water back on at the meter and make a note of the meter reading

Step 4 - Don't use any water for the next 30 minutes to an hour and then take a reading. If the reading hasn’t changed, this confirms no leakage is taking place. However, if the reading has increased, this means water maybe escaping from somewhere and might suggest there’s a leak

Step 5 - To help find out where the leak is taking place turn the water off at the internal stop tap. Wait 30 minutes to an hour, then take another meter reading - a change in the reading could indicate water escaping externally. If there's no change at this step it indicates water escaping internally.

For more information on detecting leaks, please click here.

Who is responsible for pipework

We have a large network of water mains distributing water from our treatment works to the areas where customers live and work. Every premises is connected to a water main by a service pipe. The ownership of this pipe is divided between us and the property owner.

In most cases we are responsible for the section between the water main and the boundary of the street in which the water main is located. This section is called the communication pipe. There is usually an underground stopcock near this boundary, and there may also be a meter installed here. Both the stopcock and meter are our responsibility.

The owner of the premises is legally responsible for the section of the service pipe from the boundary of the street to your property. This is called the supply pipe. If there is a leak on the supply pipe the owner of the premises is responsible for getting it repaired. 

The diagram below shows a typical service pipe layout, with the pipe supplying a single house. If you share your supply pipe with neighbours, then you also share responsibility for fixing leaks with them.

What happens if you find a leak? 

If you are concerned your underground pipework might be leaking, please contact our Customer Service Team by emailing customerservicesops@seswater.co.uk or by phoning 01737 772000. We will send a member of our team to investigate. If there is a leak, you will be given details of how to get it fixed. 

Our leakage policy

Retailers can read our non-household leakage policy by clicking on the link below. Please refer to section two.   

Find out more

Eligibility criteria for leak repairs and water bill allowances

We do not currently provide free leak repairs or leak allowances for customers who use their water supply for commercial purposes. In certain circumstances we may consider supporting with repairs and applying allowances, but these requests are assessed on an individual basis and are subject, but not limited to, the water supply being used for the purposes of serving one of the following organisations:

• Charitable or voluntary organisations 
• Schools and other buildings offering youth services 
• Hospitals and other healthcare facilities where there is not deemed to be adequate funds to enact the repair 

How to apply for a leak allowance

If you feel you meet the criteria above, you will need to contact your retailer and apply for a leak allowance. Your retailer will send the application to us as your wholesaler. If we provide an allowance a credit will be applied against the wholesale charges given to your retailer. Your retailer is then responsible for working out the retail charges and applying the allowance to your bill. 

Please be aware, an application for a leak allowance must be submitted to our Wholesale Service Team within 6 months of the repair being completed. And if an allowance is granted by us, it will be offered on a one-off basis, and no further allowances will be provided for any future occurrences of leakage that may take place.

Retailer requirements

In order for us to consider a customers allowance we require retailers to ensure the information below is available: 

• We require regular 6 monthly meter reads, or monthly meter reads are available dependent  on the frequency set up in the central marketing operating system (CMOS).  
• All CMOS data is up to date.

If you have any questions about a leak on a non-household premises, please contact a member of our team using the details shown further down the page. 

How do we work with retailers?

We help retailers support their business customers. 

We have regular meetings and account management support with retailers, however  our Wholesale Service Desk team is available to contact if you need any extra support using the contact details below.

Contact us

The Wholesale Service Desk is available Monday to Thursday from 8am to 5pm and on Friday from 8am to 4:30pm. 

wholesaleservicedesk@seswater.co.uk 

Call 0203 968 9805 during working hours and use 01737 772000 for emergency issues.

Useful information

Good practice

The Retail Wholesaler Group (RWG) is a group made up of wholesalers, retailers, the non-household market operator (MOSL), Ofwat and CC Water. The group works towards improving overall customer service in the market by putting together good practice guides, which address operational issues. Copies of the RWG good practice guides can be found on the MOSL website. 

Loss of profit claims

Please visit our loss of profit page here for more information.