Yorkshire Water recently announced that the opening of the new retail market in April next year will see it transferring all of its non-household customers to Three Sixty, its newly-formed sister company.
Richard Flint, Chief Executive of Kelda Group and Yorkshire Water is pleased with the prospects for his customers, saying:
“Yorkshire Water believes the interests of its non-household customers in the new competitive retail market can best be served by transferring provision of their retail services to Yorkshire Water’s sister company Three Sixty. We are confident the great service and value that customers of Yorkshire Water have come to expect will continue to be delivered and improved upon by this arrangement. Three Sixty have already demonstrated their customer service credentials by providing retail services under contract to all of Yorkshire Water’s business customers since April ’16.”
Just like Yorkshire Water, Three Sixty forms part of the Kelda Group and has been formed to combine the activities of Yorkshire Water’s existing and fully operational retail division with KWS Retail, its out-of-area retail business. The thinking behind the design of the new business is merely to make provision for the specific needs of business customers, in preparation for an upcoming water retail market geared up for full competition in 2017. It will enjoy the capability to provide a single retail service centre to all its customers, with a nationwide reach.
The transfer of around 130,000 non-household Yorkshire Water customers over to Three Sixty will be a seamless one, to take place as the market opens. In the meantime and going forward, Yorkshire Water will continue presiding over the water and waste water treatment and network functions across Yorkshire, also continuing with its provision of retail services to the 2.2 million households it currently services.
At this stage, Yorkshire Water business customers don’t need to take any action. The opportunities and benefits presented by this change will be made clear to them and communicated directly over the months to come.
Robert Marrill, Managing Director of Three Sixty, said: “We are delighted Yorkshire Water has selected Three Sixty as their retailer of choice for the Yorkshire region’s non household customers. Our business is centred on adding value and helping businesses make water work for them, as seamlessly and cost effectively as possible.”
“In developing Three Sixty, we have taken the attributes that made Yorkshire Water’s non household water business work well for its customers and applied them to the new company, putting the customer’s needs at the heart of everything we do. Like Yorkshire Water, Three Sixty will be easy and straight forward to work with and we will ensure a seamless and smooth transition for customers.”
Richard Flint added: “We recognised that a fresh approach was needed to build on past successes and deliver the needs of business customers in a totally new retail water market. This is what we have with the transfer of these activities to Three Sixty; a business specifically developed to meet the needs of business customers nationwide, but created from the very foundation and roots of the Kelda Group. The changes in the water market provide Three Sixty with the opportunity to become a truly innovative water retailer, and allow Yorkshire Water to focus on delivering our strategic business objectives and successful outcomes around the 26 performance commitments we have made to our customers”
More information and answers to a good portion of the questions you may have are available on Yorkshire Water’s website at: https://www.yorkshirewater.com/business/services