smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is warning that many small businesses could be hit by recent price hikes to water rates.

Water companies did predict an average 29% increase in charges over the next five years, with some as high as 45%, to pay for the cost of modernising equipment and complying with environmental legislation. The FSB called on the water regulator, Ofwat, to stop excessive increases and the result is that water rates will rise by around 10% next year – still a significant extra cost for small businesses.

But help is at hand from Government environmental advisory group Envirowise and its Big Splash programme, which is designed to help small businesses reduce water usage, and consequently reduce costs.

Businesses that register for the programme must fill in a questionnaire on their business and its water consumption and submit it to Envirowise. In return, Envirowise will provide you with a tailor-made information pack on how to make water savings, ideas on where to start, one-to-one support from an Envirowise adviser, and a monitoring tool to track and report progress.

To register online, go to www.envirowise.gov.uk or call 0800-585794 before Christmas 2004. In March 2005, those companies that have demonstrated significant savings or improvements will be invited to take part in a publicity event.

(3/8/04)

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