Data Centers in Watford
1 locations found
Need Help?
Tell us about your needs and our team of experts will help you find and choose the perfect Data Center and solution at the best price.
Explore Other Markets in United Kingdom
- London 197
- Manchester 28
- Leeds 18
- Reading 11
- Newcastle 10
- Bristol 8
- Birmingham 7
- Liverpool 6
- Fareham 6
- Leicester 5
- Milton Keynes 5
- Telford 4
- Edinburgh 4
- Crawley 4
- Wolverhampton 4
- Brighton 3
- Maidstone 3
- Glasgow 3
- Belfast 3
- Portsmouth 3
- Nottingham 3
- Northampton 3
- Sheffield 3
- Coventry 3
- Cardiff 3
- Aberdeen 2
- Southampton 2
- Harlow 2
- Stevenage 2
- Chester 2
- Derby 2
- Cheltenham 2
- High Wycombe 2
- Greater London 2
- Gloucester 2
- Dundee 1
- York 1
- Basildon 1
- Bournemouth 1
- Chelmsford 1
- Poole 1
- Sevenoaks 1
- Hadley 1
- Oxford 1
- Hemel Hempstead 1
- Southborough 1
- Reigate and Banstead 1
- Rugby 1
- Colchester 1
- Exeter 1
- Dover 1
- Feltham 1
- Greater Manchester 1
- Newcastle Upon Tyne 1
- Warrington 1
- Test Valley 1
- Bath 1
Watford – London Proximity Without The Premium
Watford serves as a strategic colocation market for businesses requiring low-latency access to London's financial and digital hubs without the cost and congestion of the inner city. It provides a resilient, well-connected alternative for production and disaster recovery workloads that need to remain close to the UK's primary economic center.
Watford: At A Glance
| Factor | Rating / Data | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Global Connectivity Grade | B | Strong connectivity, primarily leveraged through its proximity to the London ecosystem. |
| Direct Cloud On-Ramps | 0 – as of September 2025 | Direct access is available via private network extension to nearby London hubs. |
| Power Cost | ≈£0.17/kWh – as of September 2025 | Reflects UK industrial electricity rates, which are competitive for a major European market. |
| Disaster Risk | Low (2.1/10) – as of September 2025 | Very low overall risk profile with minimal exposure to significant natural disasters. |
| Tax Incentives | No | No specific data center incentives are currently offered in the United Kingdom. |
| Sales Tax | 20% VAT – as of September 2025 | Standard UK Value Added Tax applies to equipment and services. |
Network & Connectivity Ecosystem
Carrier Density & Carrier Neutrality With over 12 carriers present as of September 2025, Watford offers solid network diversity. The data center environment supports carrier-neutral interconnection, allowing businesses to choose from a variety of providers to optimize cost and performance.
Direct Cloud On-Ramps There are no direct cloud on-ramps within Watford as of September 2025. However, the market's primary advantage is its close proximity to London, one of the world's top cloud connectivity hubs. Secure, private connections to all major cloud providers are readily available through dedicated fiber links to London facilities.
Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) Public peering is not established directly within Watford. Most interconnection and peering occurs via private links to London's primary exchanges, such as LINX and LONAP, ensuring low-latency access to a global network of peers.
Bare Metal Bare metal server options are available in the region, often provisioned from providers located in the broader London metro area. Service providers like Hivelocity and phoenixNAP can deliver dedicated infrastructure to support high-performance computing needs.
Power Analysis
Average Cost Of Power Industrial power pricing in the Watford area is approximately £0.17/kWh, as of September 2025. This rate, typical for the UK, offers a predictable operational expense for compute-heavy deployments. The UK's energy mix includes a significant and growing share of renewables (40-50%), supported by natural gas and nuclear power.
Power Grid Reliability The power grid serving the greater London area, including Watford, is well-engineered and highly reliable. Data centers in the region are supported by redundant power feeds and substation diversity, meeting the uptime requirements of enterprise-grade operations.
Market Access, Business & Tax Climate
Proximity To Key Business Districts Watford's key advantage is its location just outside the M25 motorway, providing direct access to central London's financial district, tech hubs, and media centers within an hour. This proximity is ideal for businesses that need to be near the capital for staff access and client meetings.
Regional Market Reach From Watford, organizations can effectively serve the entire UK market. Its location provides excellent road and rail links, enabling low-latency service delivery to major population centers across England and beyond.
Tax Advantage For Data Centers The United Kingdom applies a standard 20% Value Added Tax (VAT) on goods and services. While there are no direct tax incentives for data center construction or operation, the country's stable financial and legal systems provide a predictable environment for investment.
Natural Disaster Risk
Watford has a very low natural disaster risk profile, with an INFORM Risk score of 2.1 out of 10 as of September 2025. This minimizes the threat of environmental disruptions to data center operations.
While the national risk profile for the UK includes coastal and river flooding, Watford's inland location mitigates direct exposure. The most relevant environmental risks, though minimal, include:
- Coastal Flood: 8.3/10 (A national indicator, indirect risk)
- River Flood: 5.7/10
- Drought: 1.6/10
- Earthquake: 0.1/10
