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Severn Trent Water Set To Incentivise Businesses To Save Water
Severn Trent Water has announced that it has launched a new trial to encourage takeup of business water saving strategies, incentivising them and other large users to reduce demand on mains water supplies during the warmer summer months.
The trials began this month (May) and will be running over four months, with the aim being to make large users become more water efficient. The pilot project is the first of its kind in the water industry, with different approaches set to be tested simultaneously to identify those that deliver the most water savings.
Under the scheme, water retailers that deal directly with business customers will be paid 25p for every litre they save. A separate approach features plans to give retailers advance notice of when demand is expected to be extremely high. Businesses will be offered incentive payments to reduce their usage and consumption during peak hours.
Director for strategy and regulation at Severn Trent Shane Anderson said: “We all know that climate change and a growing population is putting increasing pressure on water companies to keep up with demand.
“It’s a challenge that’ll be brought into sharper focus this summer, as less people travel abroad for their holiday. We expect more families to stay in the UK for the break, which will have an impact.
“That’s why we’re really excited to launch this new water efficiency trial with retailers. By incentivising them to use less water during times of peak demand, we hope it’ll help us to protect this most precious resource.”
He went on to say that massive environmental benefits could also be delivered by encouraging water users to prioritise water efficiency in this way, helping to reduce the UK’s carbon footprint through behavioural change.
Water shortages are expected to be seen around the UK in as little as ten years’ time, so action must be taken now in order to help mitigate the risks. A recent study conducted by Water Resource East indicated that by the 2050s, the east of England will need extra water resources of between 531 and 1,656 megalitres a day.
This means that the region will be hit with shortages of up to 1.6 billion litres a day, which means that water usage practices will have to evolve or the east will need to find enough water to supply up to six million people.
If you’re concerned about the impact your business is having on the environment where your water usage is concerned, get in touch with the team here at H2o Building Services to see how we can help you boost your water efficiency today.
We can carry out an audit of your site to identify any weak or vulnerable areas and then find appropriate water-saving solutions, monitoring the situation over time so that these can evolve as the needs of your business change in the future.