Marston’s is the third company in England to be granted a licence by Ofwat to supply its own water and wastewater services.
The brewery and pub retailer operates more than 1,600 pubs, bars and lodges across the UK and stands to benefit from increased participation and reduced costs in the new open water market, as Emma Kelso, Ofwat’s Senior Director for Customers and Casework, explains: “Marston’s PLC are a large, multi-site business, so opting to become a Self-Supplier could offer them benefits, including having more control over the service they get and reducing administration costs.”
Andy Kershaw, Head Of Group Facilities for Marston’s, said: “This is a great opportunity for Marston’s, enabling us to drive efficiency and cost whilst working towards reducing consumption through our managed sites and breweries. It also gives us the platform to trial innovation and become an active partner in the market.”
Waterscan will take on the role and responsibilities for the water retail functions. These include meter reading, central market operating system transactions, wholesaler management, paying water and sewerage charges through the settlement process, and finding further water efficiency savings.
“We are thrilled to see the hospitality sector taking a leadership position in the new open water market. As major consumers of water, it is entirely appropriate that companies like Marston’s, Greene King and Whitbread should also take on the role of major influencer.”
Neil Pendle, Waterscan’s Managing Director
