The potential of water efficiency

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Business Stream chief executive, Jo Dow

Water supplier Business Stream urges businesses to take a proactive approach to water efficiency in this sponsored article.

Whilst the benefits of reducing energy use are well understood, the similar benefits to be gained from reducing water use are sometimes overlooked. By using less water, customers can stand to benefit from lower bills and greater environmental efficiencies. And given energy is used to treat, distribute and heat water, by using water more wisely customers could also see their energy bills reduce too.

The retail water market – which opened for business in England in 2017 – paved the way for all businesses and public sector organisations to choose their supplier and get a better deal for their water. One of the benefits of this new market is a greater focus on water efficiency as it creates an environment where retailers are encouraged to work pro-actively with their customers to help them reduce their water use and reap the benefits.

The water regulator, Ofwat, reported that within the first 12 months of the market opening, business customers that had switched or renegotiated terms with their retailer had reduced their consumption of water and waste water services by between 270 and 540 Megalitres – the equivalent of between 100 and 200 Olympic sized swimming pools. This was a good start but UK water retailer, Business Stream, believes the potential is much greater.

Passionate about water efficiency, the firm has helped its business and public sector customers save over 38 billion litres of water and over 66,000 tonnes of CO2 savings in the past 10 years. To help build on this momentum, the retailer recently announced ambitious plans to help its customers reduce their water consumption by 20%.

Reflecting on the commitment, Business Stream’s Chief Executive, Jo Dow, commented: “We recognise that this pledge is ambitious but it wouldn’t be worth doing if it wasn’t. We understand the importance of water efficiency for our customers and the environment and believe that as a responsive forward-thinking water retailer we have a responsibility to do everything we can to help businesses use water wisely, which will simultaneously have a positive impact on energy levels as well”.

Customers can stand to achieve significant cost savings by reducing the amount of water they use – and even small changes can make a big difference. By installing water saving devices or undertaking water health checks, businesses could see a direct impact to their bottom line.

Furthermore, the benefits aren’t purely financial as a focus on water efficiency will also help to generate greater environmental efficiencies. This in turn will help to protect what is becoming an ever-increasing precious resource, as well as help businesses to meet their sustainability targets.

A proactive approach to water efficiency could help to reduce water and energy bills; meet CSR targets; and address current and future environmental challenges. And what customer wouldn’t want that?

See business-stream.co.uk to find out how your organisation can take positive action.

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