Harken back to the days of old, when people had to get their water from White Cart Water. It was a difficult way of getting yourself water and would be laughed at now if it had to be done. Yet, there are businesses dotted around Paisley which are almost archaic in how they use, and take care of, every drop of water which runs through the taps.

Businesses in Paisley can get a better deal out of their water. Thanks to the lovely folk at Castle Water, who are a top-rated Scottish business water provider, here are some of the ways businesses across town could be doing a better job of using water.

 

Scottish Water isn’t the only game in town

Just like every home in Scotland, Scottish Water is in charge of looking at the water network for every business. By default, your business will be assigned to a provider as Scottish Water doesn’t directly work with business customers.

Many people don’t realise that you have the right to switch providers if you think it’s a better deal for your business. While you’d get on the phone to talk with Scottish Water when the supply isn’t coming through, or the water quality doesn’t look right, you wouldn’t be talking to them about bills.

 

Do the research and search online to see if there’s a better deal from another provider, like the aforementioned Castle Water. Different companies will have specific services that may prove beneficial to how your business uses water, so ask them how they can help you out.

Get your services sorted

 

Water wastage is the biggest culprit of water bills being high. Every business in Paisley should know if they have wastage issues and are actively recycling water where possible. Again, this comes down to talking with your supplier (not Scottish Water) and asking if they can help you with:

 

Water management
Water recycling
Leak detection
Reducing effluents
Getting pipes and meters fixed

 

If your supplier says they can’t help with services like these, phone up another and see if they will for the same price. You essentially want to think of your water bills like your broadband at home; the haggling and talking to different companies that want new customers can see you get a better deal in the long-run.

Talk to your business neighbours

 

Obviously, no two businesses beside each other will use the exact same amount of water, but the tariffs you pay should be similar. It’s not nosey, but rather resourceful if you chat with your business neighbours and ask them:

 

What their water tariff is
What water company they’re with
What services they get included in their bills
If they switched and saved money

 

It’s a two-way conversation, and if your neighbour realises they’re not getting as good a deal as you on water rates, they’ll be glad you asked.

Check you’re not being mischarged when you’re working domestically

 

With so many people working from home nowadays, and many locals taking the initiative to run businesses from home, double-check that you are being charged to water appropriately.

Scottish Water can view home businesses as either fully domestic or dual-use. When your business falls in the latter, it means you’d have to pay for water as normal through your council tax, while also having to pay a separate water bill through a supplier. Scottish Water has some information on their site here to make it clear what’s what, and it was worth a look at just in case your business is viewed as part-residential, as you can avoid double-paying.

 

Here’s to better water!

Thanks for reading and I hope you’ve found a few tips that could see your business have a better understanding of the services you should expect to get from paying your water bills.

Author

Founder of Paisley.org.uk in 1998 and constantly strives to change peoples attitudes to the town, Brian is a self described Paisley Digital Champion who promotes Paisley via any means necessary. You can also follow me on X