One of the UK’s largest non-domestic water suppliers, Business Stream, has saved its customers more than £37 million in discounts, water efficiency savings and energy costs over the past year, according to new figures released by the company.

The total annual savings for 2015/16 are the highest ever recorded by Business Stream and include £26 million in customer discounts, £10 million in water efficiency savings and more than £1 million in energy costs.

Competition in the supply of water to businesses and other organisations was introduced to Scotland in April 2008, creating the first market of its kind in the world. Business Stream was established as the incumbent provider with more than 20 competitors joining the market in the last eight years.

Since then, the company has delivered customer savings of almost £160 million including £99 million in discounts, £53 million in water efficiency savings, and £7 million in reduced energy costs.

The environmental savings recorded over the last eight years mean Business Stream customers have been able to reduce their water usage by 24 billion litres of water – the equivalent of saving 42,000 tonnes of carbon.

With competition in Scotland now firmly established, Business Stream is aiming to extend its foothold in the English market, which opens to competition in April 2017. Around 1.2 million businesses and public bodies in England will be able to choose their water supplier, currently an option only available to the largest users.

Already the market leader in Scotland, Business Stream is set to be the third-biggest operator in the combined Anglo-Scottish market, having purchased the non-household customer base of Southern Water during the summer.

Johanna Dow, chief executive of Business Stream said: “Over the last eight years we have listened to our customers and tailored our solutions to meet their needs. From the outset of competition in Scotland, we have sought to pass on the benefits of competition to businesses and other organisations through an improved customer experience, innovative new services and keener pricing. These financial savings and environmental benefits are testament to those efforts.”

“With England’s water market on the cusp of opening to competition next year, we need to ensure that businesses and public sector organisations are fully aware of, and able to benefit from, the wide range of opportunities available through competition. We’re confident that our experience in Scotland, combined with the acquisition of Southern Water’s customer base, puts us in an excellent position to deliver those benefits and increase our market share.”

Pictured: Johanna Dow – Chief Executive, Business Stream