Life + Water and Energy project

In partnership with Waterwise, our new three-year water and energy advice service in Cardiff, London and Edinburgh has launched.

Funded by a contribution from the LIFE+ financial instrument of the European Community, Department for Energy and Climate Change and the Scottish Government, these pilots are first of its kind in Europe.

Since January 2009 we have been investigating the links between energy and water, and developing our integrated energy and water advice offering. Our research tells us that consumer understanding of the impact of water and especially hot water use is low. For example, research commissioned for the pilot has established that only 8% of householders would currently make the link between saving water and saving energy, demonstrating the need to raise awareness in this area.

Energy Saving Trust Advisors will deliver this innovative water and energy advice service to householders in the pilot areas of Cardiff, Edinburgh and London until September 2010.

'Don't let your money run down the drain'

What is the need for these pilots? On average in the UK we are currently using 150 litres of water per person, per day - much of which is wasted. If every UK home reduced their hot water use by just 5%, the CO2 savings would be equivalent to taking nearly 600,000 cars off the roads. When taking into account energy used to heat water there are significant energy, water and financial savings to be made by only using the water we need.

Heating water for use in taps, baths and showers makes up around 30% of average household's gas bills - that's around £200 a year. With six per cent of the UK's annual greenhouse gas emissions related to water use, and nearly 90 per cent of those emissions resulting from water use in the home, you can see it is high time for householders to stop wasting water.

There are a number of easy ways to waste less water and the energy associated with heating water.

More info on the pilot launch events

Top ten water saving tips

Project objectives

1) To pilot an innovative approach to providing environmental advice and raising consumer awareness.
2) To actively investigate the viability of combining water saving and sustainable energy advice by identifying synergies/conflicts and carbon saving links between energy and water.
3) To analyse geopolitical differences in three pilot areas - Cardiff, Edinburgh and London
4) To influence consumer behaviour to reduce their carbon emissions, preserve natural resources and move towards a water saving culture with a target of 22,500 consumers advised
5) To disseminate the findings of this innovative project by sharing pilot findings with other EU states to replicate pilot elsewhere

Expected results

• To deliver a project that proves the viability and potential replication of an innovative awareness raising and advice provision approach in the three pilot areas
• To integrate water and energy saving advice that will deliver cost effective environmental benefits to the residential sector through provision of tailored advice, driven by an integrated campaign
• Pilot to be rolled out to estimated customer base of 5 million UK customers through the Energy Saving Trust's network of 21 advice centres, with potential for replication across EU member states

Life+ Project Reports

Conflicts and Synergies Report
The first of our Life+ project reports, looking into the conflicts and synergies in domestic water and energy saving advice is now available for viewing. The report has identified the main areas of focus for the RENEW project as well as the latest customer insight, issues and local variances which will determine the delivery approach.

Fact finding mission to Zaragoza, Spain

Frances Galvanoni and Gill Warwick from the Energy Saving Trust, and Gareth Walker from Waterwise visited the city of Zaragoza in Spain to network and exchange information with the only previous Life funded project on water efficiency. The Zaragoza project successfully reduced household water consumption in Zaragoza by over 1 million litres in one year, through encouraging the installation of water saving technologies and by changing behaviour.

During the trip they visited Zaragoza City Council, learning how metering, itemised bills and innovative billing tariffs helped to reduce water consumption in the City. They also went to the Balay factory (the Spanish home brand of Bosch & Siemens - manufacturer of water using appliances) to learn about forthcoming European research on dishwashers vs. hand washing and what they have done to make products more water efficient.

A report on the trip's findings can be accessed by clicking here

Mid-term Evaluation Report

Surveys conducted in January – March 2010 of customers advised has demonstrated that people who are being advised are broadly unaware of the issues relating to water efficiency and the energy carbon implications, but are really receptive to this innovative message. The majority being engaged with this advice seem still not to be obviously aware of the water-energy connection.

The first wave of our evaluation suggests that there is a need to move beyond top tips and WECs as alone they do not fully educate people about the water-energy connection. The advice needs to educate as to why people need to save water, with a focus on awareness raising of the water-energy connection and going forward our pilot activities will seek to address this.

For a summary of the first wave of our evaluation click here

The next wave of evaluation is due out in September 2010 and will be uploaded on this site

Supporting Partners

Waterwise will be responsible for developing the water component of the advice, as well as identifying the synergies and trade offs between water and energy advice in domestic use and a means to gauge net impacts of both. They will also be responsible for organising and carrying out training workshops in each of the pilot areas.

Funding

This project has been funded with a contribution from the LIFE financial instrument of the European Community. LIFE is the EU's financial instrument supporting environmental and nature conservation projects throughout the EU. Since 1992, LIFE has co-financed some 2,750 projects, contributing approximately £1.35 billion to the protection of the environment. Click here for details of Life+

In addition, the Department of Climate Change in England and Wales, and Natural Scotland in Scotland have contributed towards the delivery of this project.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was created in October 2008, bringing together energy policy (previously with BERR - the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) with climate change mitigation policy (previously with Defra - the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). Click here for details of DECC

Natural Scotland - Working towards a more sustainable, greener Scotland. To help prevent climate change and protect the environment for future generations, we all need to reduce the impact of the way we live. Natural Scotland is raising awareness of the positive impact small changes we make in our lives can have on Scotland's environment. Click here for details of Natural Scotland

Coordinating beneficiary:

Energy Saving Trust
Contact details:
Frances Galvanoni
Project Lead Water and Waste
Frances.galvanoni@est.org.uk
0207 654 2481