University of Central Lancashire switches supplier and saves £25,500 annually on water
Crown Commercial Service's first water aggregation helps UCLan achieve big savings on their water bills.
The requirement
The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) is one of the UK’s largest universities with a student and staff community approaching 38,000 across campuses located in Preston, Burnley, Westlakes and Cyprus. The university wanted to reduce their water bills across their UK estate by taking advantage of the recently deregulated water market. By reducing their bills, valuable savings could be redirected back into the institution and invested in their ultimate objective of helping students from all walks of life, to make the most of their potential at the university.
The solution
The Water, Wastewater and Ancillary Services framework (RM3790) allows customers to switch to a single retail provider for their billing and account management whilst securing their retail costs for the next 2-3 years. On 18 October 2017, via RM3790, CCS ran the UK’s first aggregated further competition for monthly and quarterly billing. We combined the requirements of 122 customers across the public sector to optimise buying leverage, promote competition between the framework suppliers and drive down retail margins.
The EU compliant procurement was awarded to Castle Water Ltd on 4th November and customers could switch supply from as early as 1st January 2018. CCS worked closely with the supplier to embed a robust on-boarding process to provide customers with a quality, seamless switching and account management experience.
The results
By using RM3790, and signing up to the CCS led aggregation, UCLan appointed Castle Water Ltd as their sole water supplier for their UK estate. Based on their first invoices, UCLan is set to save approximately £25,500 on their annual water bill.
CCS supported customers throughout the entire process, providing timely updates and hosting regular webinars. The account management by Castle Water Ltd was proactive and attentive, with the university being fully informed throughout the process. By working closely together, CCS and Castle Water Ltd were able to deliver an efficient and seamless end-to-end journey, from UCLan joining the aggregation to receiving their first monthly bill.
Laura Carter from University of Central Lancashire commented:
“Joining the CCS tender was the best option for us, it took all the hassle out of the process and saved us a lot of time.
I have been very impressed by the team so far. The customer service has been excellent and the transfer was very smooth”.
Get involved
If you would like to find out more about this framework, or join our next aggregation you can:
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