If you’re worried about your business water, please call us. We’re here for you.

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

05.01.2020 – The Chancellor has announced further support packages for retail, hospitality and leisure business closed due to lockdown. One-off grants of up to £9,000 are available – further information on the government website here

What you need to know about your water services

Guidance on how the Coronavirus may affect your business water services and what Brightwater can do to minimise your concerns

Need to know information for you and your water supply:

The UK government has launched a new ‘support-finder ‘ tool to aid businesses and self employed people to easily determine what financial support is available to them during the coronavirus pandemic. This can be accessed at gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder

 

Whilst the Coronavirus brings with it confusion and uncertainty, we’re committed to work with you to keep you updated on relevant information. We’re working within Government and NHS guidelines to ensure maximum safekeeping and performance during this time.

Our top priority is the safety, health and well-being of our colleagues and customers during this unprecedented time. Please continue to check our site for up to date information on your business water supply.  

Frequently Asked Questions – Contacting Brightwater

In line with the latest guidelines the Brightwater team are now working from home. Our systems are cloud based so we can continue to support you from the safety of our own homes. It may take us a little longer to deal with your enquiry and we thank you for your patience with this.

Can I still contact you?

Yes you can, our opening hours remain 9.00am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday.

Please call us on: 0330 022 0570 / 0131 510 6909 or email us at hello@brightwater.com

Who do I call with a water emergency?

For interruption in supply, flooding or contamination in your water, please contact the Scottish Water Emergency Helpline: 0845 600 8855

Frequently Asked Questions – your water supply services

There should be few, if any, interruptions to your water supply. Our systems are cloud based so we can work remotely while the key areas of our service – such as customer service and support, billing and payments – continue to run.

Will there be any change to my water services?

No. Our focus is on continuing to supply essential services to you during the Coronavirus outbreak.

There may be some delays or postponement to non-essential services as we continue to work through these unprecedented times. Please continue to check our website for updates.

How can I be sure my business water is protected?

Scottish Water has increased incident command structures to minimise impact on services and the is currently no impact on their service. The primary focus is to ensure that water services are maintained in a safe and responsible manner.

Scottish Water will prioritise critical services in line with government guidance

What happens to my water if Brightwater closes?

Please don’t worry. Your services will continue as normal. We’re following guidance daily and our top priority is to support you and your needs.

If the government introduces new measures that mean closing temporarily, there will be no change to your service.

We’ve built our systems to protect customers against incidents and events and we’re committed to continue supplying water services in an efficient and timely way.

Will you still read my water meter?

We’re working with our meter reading partners to keep these services running wherever possible. There may be some changes to keep within government guidelines – please check back here for updates.

You can submit a meter reading at any time. Through our website here , email: metering@brightwater.com or call:  0330 022 0570 / 0131 510 6909

Update: 04.05.2020 – Meter reading activities have resumed for premises with external meters only. Customers with internal meters should continue to provide regular meter reads to our metering team as above.

Frequently Asked Questions – charges, finance and payments

If I have to close temporarily, will I still be charged for water services?

Yes – from April 2017 in Scotland the Government announced that all properties remain liable for charges whilst closed – temporarily or permanently.

I’m struggling to pay my bills – what are my options?

We know this is a difficult time for your business and we’re here to support you with your water costs.

Our uncertain times require flexibility and support. If you are worried about paying bills then please call our credit control team on 0131 510 6909 to discuss how we might be able to help you.

Check information on Government business support – the UK Government have introduced measures to support businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak, including Business loans and grants.

We have included some links to useful sites for support below.

How can I reduce charges while I’m closed?

Fixed charges for water, wastewater and drainage services can’t shift up or down. However, it might be possible to reduce consumption charges for metered customers.

We advise submitting frequent meter readings so we can re-calculate your bill. Consumption charges are based on your current meter data. Calculations are made from typical consumption based on your last two meter readings.

You can submit a meter reading at any time. Via our website here , email: metering@brightwater.com or call:  0330 022 0570 / 0131 510 6909

Can I take a payment holiday?

Payment holidays are not currently available. Our advice is to check available funding through HMRC and other government sources to access support for business costs.

Additional information, useful links and support

This is a critical time for businesses large and small. We will continue to offer support, guidance and advice in relation to business water supplies and will update relevant information here and on our social media channels.

If you’re worried about your business water, please call us on 0131 510 6909 or email us at hello@brightwater.com We’re here for you.

For up-to-date information on Covid-19 and related guidance we recommend visiting the following sites:

Financial Support

The UK government has launched a new ‘support-finder ‘ tool to aid businesses and self employed people to easily determine what financial support is available to them during the coronavirus pandemic. This can be accessed at gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder

Other useful links

Government

Scottish Water

NHS

Last updated: 11.01.2021

Brightwater saved us over £250 a year. They managed the whole process for us, making it very easy

Raymond Patterson
McDonald Gordon & Co Ltd, Edinburgh