Water guide

Why has my previous business water supplier objected to me switching water suppliers?

At AquaSwitch, we’ve helped thousands of companies to switch business water supplier. Today’s guide looks at a common issue that can arise in switching water suppliers. The current supplier of water services has the right to object and stop the transfer of water services to a new supplier in a few different circumstances.

Our guide looks at what switch objections are, why they occur, and what can be done to resolve them.

What is a switch objection?

In the deregulated business water market, your business can compare business water and choose who supplies your commercial property with water services. At AquaSwitch, we help companies find and switch to the best water tariffs available in the market. The switching process commences once you’ve signed the contract with your chosen business water supplier.

The process when you switch business water supplier starts with your new water supplier requesting the transfer of services from your current retailer. Ofwat, the regulator, allows your current water supplier to object to the switch in a few specific circumstances.

A switch objection prevents the transfer of your water services to the new supplier. In the objection scenario, your water services will continue to be provided by your old supplier until the objection is resolved.

What are the reasons for a switch objection?

A business water supplier can legitimately object to a switch in the following circumstances:

You are currently in contract – This means that your business has agreed to a contract with your current supplier for a fixed period of time. If you are currently in contract, it is not possible to transfer to another supplier.
You have unpaid water bills – If your current business water supplier has billed you for water services, but you haven’t paid them, then your current supplier will not allow you to transfer.
You have just moved into a new property – Suppose you’ve recently moved to a business property, but the current supplier hasn’t been informed of the change in tenancy. In that case, your current supplier can object based on issues with the previous account holder.

What can you do to resolve a switch objection?

The quickest way to resolve your switch objection is to phone your current business water supplier to discuss the objection. See our guide to business water suppliers for the contact details of all the major water suppliers.

Your current business water supplier will be able to give you a reason for their objection and the steps required to get it resolved. Once resolved, your new business water supplier will reapply for the transfer of your water services with a revised switch date.

How does AquaSwitch help resolve a switch objection?

At AquaSwitch, we help our customers make a hassle-free switch from one supplier to another. When switch objections arise, we do everything we can to resolve switch objections. Here are the steps we take:

We’ll email your existing supplier with our signed letter of authority formally requesting the reason for the objection.
Once we have this, we’ll let you know the reason and the steps necessary for resolution.
Once the objection has been resolved, we’ll request that your new supplier proceed with processing the switch.

What is a business energy switch objection?

At AquaSwitch, we also offer our customers a business energy comparison service. Switch objections can also occur when you switch business energy. Our in-house energy experts will help your business overcome objections to switching commercial electricity or gas contracts.