Yorkshire Water recently came out with an announcement that upon the opening of the new retail market in April next year, all of its non-household retail customers will be transferred to its newly-formed sister company, Three Sixty.
Richard Flint, Chief Executive of Kelda Group and Yorkshire Water is pleased with the prospects for his customers, saying:
“Yorkshire Water believes the interests of its non-household customers in the new competitive retail market can best be served by transferring provision of their retail services to Yorkshire Water’s sister company Three Sixty. We are confident the great service and value that customers of Yorkshire Water have come to expect will continue to be delivered and improved upon by this arrangement. Three Sixty have already demonstrated their customer service credentials by providing retail services under contract to all of Yorkshire Water’s business customers since April ’16.”
Like Yorkshire Water, Three Sixty forms part of the Kelda Group, having been formed to combine the activities of Yorkshire Water’s established and operational retail division with KWS Retail, its out-of-area retail business. The purpose of the new business is to meet the specific needs of business customers, this in full preparation for the water retail market competition set to be reignited in 2017. It will have the ability to provide a centralised nationwide retail service for all its customers.
The transferring of around 130,000 non-household Yorkshire Water customers is all geared up to be a seamless one, with these customers officially handed over to Three Sixty with the opening of the market. At the same time, Yorkshire Water will continue holding responsibility for the water and waste water treatment and network functions all across Yorkshire, so too continuing to provide the retail services which it does to the 2.2 million household it serves.
Since the benefits and opportunities afforded to Yorkshire Water’s business customers will be communicated to them directly over the months to come, they don’t need to take any action at this stage.
Robert Marrill, Managing Director of Three Sixty, said: “We are delighted Yorkshire Water has selected Three Sixty as their retailer of choice for the Yorkshire region’s non household customers. Our business is centred on adding value and helping businesses make water work for them, as seamlessly and cost effectively as possible.”
“In developing Three Sixty, we have taken the attributes that made Yorkshire Water’s non household water business work well for its customers and applied them to the new company, putting the customer’s needs at the heart of everything we do. Like Yorkshire Water, Three Sixty will be easy and straight forward to work with and we will ensure a seamless and smooth transition for customers.”
Richard Flint added: “We recognised that a fresh approach was needed to build on past successes and deliver the needs of business customers in a totally new retail water market. This is what we have with the transfer of these activities to Three Sixty; a business specifically developed to meet the needs of business customers nationwide, but created from the very foundation and roots of the Kelda Group. The changes in the water market provide Three Sixty with the opportunity to become a truly innovative water retailer, and allow Yorkshire Water to focus on delivering our strategic business objectives and successful outcomes around the 26 performance commitments we have made to our customers”
More info and some answers to many of the questions you may have are available on Yorkshire Water’s website, at: https://www.yorkshirewater.com/business/services