Wednesday 29 March 2017

Too much water regulation could be barrier to entry

Too much regulation in the retail water market could act as a barrier to entry when it opens.

That's according to Tony McHardy, Corporate Director of Water Plus, who spoke to ELN at the Energy Live Consultancy Conference (ELCC) in Manchester last week.

However, when asked whether he thought the market was ready to open, he said: "I think what we've actually got in terms of the regulation is right.

"I think what we've got, especially around the customer protection codes of practice, have been great and they've been learning from the energy market so I'm very supportive around that."

He also stressed the importance of the retail water market and water itself as a valuable resource: "It's a critical commodity, it's a critical raw material for processes, it's something which is almost perceived as being the next gold or the next big oil."

Mr McHardy suggested working with a good retailer can help companies understand how best to maximise the cost efficiency and resource efficiency of their water resources.