New water efficiency labels: helping customers save water
Water scarcity is one of the biggest challenges facing the South East. Climate change, population growth and rising demand are putting increasing pressure on already stretched water resources, making it vital that we all use water more efficiently.
By Kimberley Turnbull, Water Efficiency Programme Lead
We’re pleased that the Government has taken action in response to this challenge. It has announced new legislation that will introduce mandatory water‑efficiency labels on key household appliances, including showers, toilets, taps, washing machines and dishwashers.
Like energy labels, the new A–F colour‑coded system will clearly show how much water products use, making it easier for people to choose options that save water, reduce energy use and lower household bills. Clear and consistent information plays a vital role in helping customers make informed choices, particularly as pressures on water resources continue to grow.
The importance of acting at pace
Water efficiency is no longer something we can treat as a “nice to have”. Climate change, population growth and increased demand mean the South East is already one of the most water‑stressed regions in the country. According to the Environment Agency, England needs to find almost 5 billion extra litres of water a day by 2050 to maintain water supplies. More than half of that, 2.6 billion litres a day, is needed in the South East alone.
Government‑led measures such as water labelling are essential in helping accelerate awareness and behaviour change at scale. What matters now is ensuring these measures translate quickly into real-world savings, supporting households to reduce demand while helping protect rivers, lakes and groundwater for the long term.
Supporting customers to use water wisely
Alongside national initiatives, we are continuing to invest in practical, customer focused measures to help people better understand and reduce their water use.
We will be launching our new digital water calculator soon, giving customers a clear picture of how much water they use, how they compare locally, and where simple changes could lower consumption and bills.
We’re also trialling new Water Saving Kits, which include practical devices and easy‑to‑understand information to help customers make immediate savings and build longer‑term water‑saving habits. Subject to the trial, we hope to roll these out more widely this summer.
For customers with particularly high usage, we offer targeted home water efficiency visits. During AMP8, our engineers plan to carry out around 30,000 of these visits, installing water efficient devices, fixing minor leaks and offering personalised advice.
We’ve also put together some advice and guidance on the little changes you can make to your daily routine that will help you save water and money.
Support for businesses, schools and communities
Using water wisely matters beyond the home. We also provide a range of support for businesses, schools and community organisations, including advice and funding to help reduce water use and protect the environment.
Our Business Partnership Fund is open until 15 July, offering grants for innovative ideas to help businesses reduce water use across our region. If you have a project idea, from rainwater reuse and flow‑restricting devices to new technology or behaviour‑change programmes, we’d love to hear from you.
Tackling water scarcity requires action from all of us. Government policy, industry leadership and everyday choices by customers all play a part. We support interventions that help raise awareness and drive change and we remain focused on helping our customers use water wisely.