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Pub chain and brewer Greene King has been saving more than 600,000 pints of water per day since obtaining a self-supply licence to deliver its own water and wastewater services last year.
Greene King, which operates more than 3,000 pubs, restaurants and hotels across the UK, made headlines last year as the first non-household water customer to apply to provide its own retail services.
The retail water market aims to give customers more options for their water services, allowing them to negotiate with retailers regarding price and choose a service package to suit their needs. Greene King’s decision to obtain a self-supply licence has led to notable water savings.
In the latest iteration of its annual sustainability report, published earlier this week, Greene King revealed that the switch to self-supply had enabled the company to reduce its water footprint by more than 140,000m3 since April 2017. Daily, Greene King has realised 384.32m3 in consumption savings – the equivalent of 676,313 pints.
The report states that Greene King’s full portfolio of 3,000 water supply points was switched during the move, and that the business has reaped “further benefits” from the switch. Site-level engagement was noted as a driver of efficiency, improved savings and greater control over supply in the report.
As a self-supply licensee, the Suffolk-based company does not pay retail margins added by suppliers in the open water market; has become a market participant including membership of MOSL with voting rights and the ability to directly influence the market, and can supply water services to multiple sites for its business.
To facilitate the switch to self-supply, Greene King partnered with Waterscan to take on the role and responsibilities for the retail functions, such as meter reading, central market operating system transactions and wholesaler management.
Businesses across England are already beginning to see the benefits of self-supply, with several large companies including hospitality firm Whitbread having been granted a licence since the water retail market opened in 2017. More than 100,000 supply points switched water retailer during the first 10 months of the market, according to figures released by the market operator MOSL.
Berendsen recently became the seventh organisation to apply to Ofwat for a self-supply licence.
Brewery and pub retailer Marston’s, Coca Cola European Partners, and Blackpool Council have all been granted licences. Stonegate, and Heineken are waiting to see if they have been successful.
A version of this story first appeared on edie.net
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