What is Competition?
Non-household customers who are likely to use at least 50 megalitres per year at eligible premises have the option of switching from their existing water undertaker to an alternative water supply licensee.
The Water Industry Act 1991 (WIA 1991) as amended by the Water Act 2003 (WA03) permits a company that is the holder of a Water Supply Licence (the Licensee) to have access to South Staffordshire Water Plc's (hereafter referred to as the Company) supply system to enable them to supply water to eligible premises within the Company's area of operation. Prospective licensees will have to obtain a water supply licence before they can supply water through the Company's water supply system. Prospective suppliers will be able to apply for licences from Ofwat on the following basis:
A retail licence - a Water Supply Licence that authorises the holder to use a water undertaker's supply system for the purpose of supplying water to the premises of its customers ('the retail authorisation'). A retail licence therefore permits the supplier to purchase a wholesale supply of water from a water undertaker and to retail it to customers at eligible premises.
A combined licence - a Water Supply Licence that gives the holder the 'supplementary authorisation' in addition to the retail authorisation. The supplementary authorisation allows the holder to introduce water into a water undertaker's supply system by means of which any particular supply of water to the premises under the licensee's retail authorisation is to take place.
In this section, we provide our Network Access Code and present some Indicative Access Prices.