Your water bill is weighing your business down, and you have to keep increasing the utility budget to make up for it. You just can’t keep up anymore. There is a solution. Have you ever heard of a business water audit? This article will give you information about how a business water audit works in the form of a comprehensive guide.
Business Water Audit
You can conduct a business water audit on your own, or you can hire an expert water auditor from a reputable company. They will evaluate your business’s infrastructure, water usage, water supply, and water drainage. The business water audit determines where your business uses water, what it is used on, and how it is wasted. A water auditor will help you to get a better understanding of what the charges on your water bill mean so that you know where to cut usage and save water.
They will also go over your water bills to make sure that there are no problems, and that you’re not paying more than you have to. The auditor then gives you advice on how you can use all of this information to implement water-saving methods so that your business can become more water efficient and save money. They will also help you to manage these reduction goals so that you can focus your attention on your business. The entire idea of a business water audit is to save both water and money. Just go online and look for a utility comparison website, like utilitybidder.co.uk, and they will help you to audit your business’s water. When done correctly, a business water audit can lower your water bill by as much as 80%.
The cost of a water audit depends on the company you hired to evaluate your business’s water usage. Some companies won’t charge you if they don’t find any problems, while others charge you depending on the severity of your problem. Some charge according to the type and size of your business.
Steps of a Business Water Audit
- An initial audit analysis. You have to send your business’s water bills and other related documents to the auditing company. These documents have to go as far back as a year. The company goes over your bills and works out how much you pay for water, and sees if any mistakes have been made on the bills. If they identify any problems, the next step will be taken.
- An expert is sent to your business property to investigate. They will look at your water meters and supply points and compare them to the numbers indicated on your bills. They will make sure that your water meters are installed right and don’t leak where they are linked to the supply pipes. They make sure that meters are functioning and read correctly. Measurements will be taken of surface areas relating to drainage charges. They also make sure the water tariff and return to sewer allowance are fair.
- The auditor will look at the result from the first two steps and put them together in a water audit report. This report will include any problems that were encountered, and if you can claim back money from faulty water bills. There is a time limit of five to six years on this claim. This is when you tell the auditor if you want them to resolve the money issue for you.
- This is the step where the auditor mediates with your water supplier for refunds on your behalf. They also make sure that the problem is fixed for future payments. You will be kept up to date throughout the entire process.
- Along with resolving money issues, the auditor also gives your business advice on how it can become more water-efficient and environmentally friendly. They help you to implement and enforce any necessary measurements.
Types of Business Water Audit
There are two types of business water audits. The differences between the two types are very obvious, making it easier for auditors to recognise the precise problems affecting a business.
Water-Saving Devices Audit
This type of audit is more rudimentary. It pinpoints any basic changes that your business needs to make in relation to devices and utilities that use water. These include toilets, taps, water treatment units, and sprinklers outside of the buildings. The audit process involves making sure that these appliances don’t leak water. The recommendation is usually that water-efficient fittings and aerated taps be used to limit water loss and usage. This audit only advises making small changes to save water.
Comprehensive Water Audit
This audit is mostly done at businesses of industrial size, with very large water usage. It looks at every area in the business that uses water. Water drainage and supply are evaluated. Auditors even look at the quality of your business’s water supply. They examine the programming and processes and business equipment to find water-saving solutions. They can advise you to use “greywater” for garden maintenance, instead of paying for fresh water. Water-saving solutions from this audit are in-depth and save large amounts of water.
Benefits of a Business Water Audit
A water audit will ensure that your business isn’t double invoiced or billed, that no mistakes are made on bills, or that meter readings aren’t guessed according to rateable value. Basically, that you aren’t owed any refunds due to incorrect bills. You also get a better understanding of how your water bill works and what all of the terms on it mean. The water auditor will give you recommendations on changes that will make your business more water-efficient and thereby help you to save water and money. Business water audits help you to understand how your business should be using water according to your needs and budget.
When your business is more water-efficient it becomes more sustainable, which promotes your business brand according to the Environmental Social Governance (ESG) policy. This broadens your clientele area. You can get your staff involved in the saving process, giving you a chance to educate more people about the importance of saving water. Your business can get the correct size and type of water meter for its needs. Wasting less water by using less water, thereby conserving it for the future.
Conclusion
This article explains what a business water audit is and how it works. An explanation is given about how this audit can help your business. The cost of a business water audit is briefly explained. The steps that an auditor follows during the process are discussed. The two types of business water audits are given and described. The numerous benefits of a business water audit are given as well. This can be considered a comprehensive guide on all things related to business water auditing.