Briefing note: Household Water Efficiency

Water is a precious resource and one that we need to manage carefully to balance and meet the demands of household customers, the environment, and business and industry.

This public facing briefing note addresses household water efficiency, setting out current usage levels, why efficiency is important and what can be done to improve it.

Here are the headlines:

Average daily use per person at home or Per Capita Consumption (PCC), based on water company figures between April 2018 and March 2019, was 143 litres per person per day (l/p/d) across England and Wales.

Improving water efficiency is important because it:

• Helps secure supplies in the face of climate change and population growth
• Reduces energy use and carbon emissions so helps us reach net zero
• Leaves more water in the environment for nature
• Saves customers money on water and energy bills, and

Can reduce the level of investment needed in new water supply infrastructure. Research indicates that over the next 50 years it could be possible to meet a PCC target of 75 litres per person per day (l/p/d) across England and Wales. The PCC target introduced by the recent National Framework for Water Resources is 110 l/p/d by 2050.

We can and should all take action to improve our water efficiency where possible, through:

- Establishing and maintaining water saving habits

- Installing water saving devices

- Taking water efficiency into consideration when buying new appliances

- Getting our leaks repaired, and

- Finding out about and spreading information on water efficiency.

But there are also changes we need others to make:

- Introduction of mandatory water labelling for water using products

- Introduction of minimum fittings standards regulations, and

- Regulatory changes to facilitate expansion of (smart) metering installation.

As the climate changes, there will be many times in future years when this briefing note shows its relevance. In those situations please share it on social media and with your networks more widely. In the meantime, please click below to read the full note.