Edinburgh water retailer saves public sector millions of pounds

SCOTLAND’S public sector has saved more than £8.9 million through water efficiency savings over the last four years.

Organisations such as the National Health Service, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Police Scotland, and the Scottish Government have saved more than 5.6 million cubic metres of water over that period of time.

The public sector has been able to make these significant savings through a partnership with UK water retailer, Business Stream.

Business Stream CEO, Jo Dow

The Edinburgh-based firm specialises in leak detection, water efficiency and smart monitoring services, which have collectively reduced the public sector’s energy consumption by 2,371,941 kg CO2e.

During the financial year 2023/24 alone, Business Stream has saved the public sector £2.4 million.

Jo Dow, Chief Executive of Business Stream, said: “It’s fantastic to have been able to deliver significant savings to Scotland’s public sector again this year.

“Over the past four years we’ve delivered value-added services and solutions that are helping to deliver financial savings and reduce water usage, which is supporting the sector to achieve its environmental targets.”

A spokesperson from the Scottish Procurement and Property Directorate utilities team, said: “Business Stream has continued to work with the Public Sector over the last year to pro-actively identify water efficiency opportunities, reduce water consumption and carbon impact, and deliver financial savings for public sector customers on the Water and Waste Water Framework – helping to support Scotland’s green economic recovery and journey to Net Zero.”

This latest round of savings comes after Business Stream secured the Scottish Government’s Water and Waste Water Services Framework contract, worth in excess of £240million, for a further three years in March 2024.

Originally created in 2006 to offer best in class water services to businesses in Scotland, Business Stream later acquired the non-household customer base of Southern Water ahead of the planned opening of the English retail water market.

That market change in 2017 paved the way for 1.2 million businesses and public bodies in England to be able to choose their water supplier. In 2019 Business Stream acquired the customer base of its competitors Yorkshire Water Business Services (YWBS) and Three-Sixty, doubling its market share.

Based in Edinburgh, with a presence in Worthing and Bradford, Business Stream is guided by its ambitious vision to make a positive difference to its customers, its people, the environment and local communities.

Since launching that vision in 2019, the retailer has introduced more than 30 initiatives, including a 20% water efficiency pledge to help customers reduce water usage. It has also invested in a tree-planting programme which has delivered an additional 10,000 trees in Scotland.