Simple water-saving measures could save families in new homes over £100 a year on bills, while supporting a wave of new housing across Britain, said the UK government on 23 September as it launched a consultation proposing “small changes to Building Regulations that could see new homes fitted with water-saving features such as aerated taps and showerheads, and dual flush toilets.”
The government said its new efficiency rules “will tackle water shortage bottlenecks and unblock stalled developments in areas of water scarcity helping to deliver the pledge of building 1.5million homes by 2030.”
The change to the design standard will make new build housing more water efficient, equivalent to 20 litres per person per day. The government cites analysis seemingly showing that this could save £111 a year on energy and water bills in new homes.
“The small measures will also help the environment by reducing the amount that needs to be taken from rivers, lakes, and delicate chalk streams for public supply.”
Environment Secretary, Emma Reynolds, said:
“We are getting Britain building faster, and a key element to growth is smarter water consumption.
“Removing the water shortage barriers that have stalled development for too long will mean unlocking thousands of new homes while saving families money.
“Not only will this make customer bills cheaper; it will protect the environment and unlock thousands of new homes as part of our Plan for Change.”
The 12-week consultation looks to amend the current Building Regulations 2010 Part G2, which are insufficient to meet the parallel challenges of housing delivery and water conservation.
A reduction of 20 litres per person per day could see an additional 1,000 new homes unlocked for every 5,250 homes built. This is particularly helpful in areas like Cambridge and north Sussex where planning has previously been blocked because water demand outstripped supply.
The measures are intended to support the government’s commitment to reduce water usage in England by 20% per person per day by 2038. It also puts us on track to use just 110 litres per head of the population by 2050.
Future innovations, such as using harvested rainwater to flush home toilets, are also being considered in a call to evidence that is running alongside the consultation.
England has seen seven consecutive months of below-average rainfall, with five areas in drought and more expected to follow soon despite the recent rain. Climate change and increased water demand means the nation needs to become more efficient with the water it has.
Defra has worked closely with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to develop the consultation and ensure it supports housebuilding goals.
Dr. Tom Dollard, Chair, Good Homes Alliance welcomed the consultation saying:
“Our membership is facing real challenges in delivering new homes due to a lack of water capacity in their areas.
“If we are to meet the Government housing delivery targets and unlock economic growth then we must start building more ‘water smart’ homes and neighbourhoods.
“We would like to see a refreshed Part G that is aligned to the water neutrality hierarchy, and a fittings-based approach combined with a water labelling scheme that would deliver water efficient homes at scale across the UK.
“We encourage all stakeholders from across industry to respond to this important consultation.”
Ed Lockhart, CEO of Future Homes Hub:
“Water shortages are already constraining housing growth and the water supply shortfall at national and regional levels will widen without concerted action. To sustain delivery of new homes at the levels required for everyone to have a decent home, homes need to become progressively more water efficient, alongside largescale investment in water infrastructure and demand management in other sectors.
“That is why the Future Homes Hub proposed a water efficiency roadmap for the new homes sector in the 2024 Water Ready report. We therefore welcome the Government consulting on proposed efficiency measures and look forward to working with the Government to ensure water efficiency can be implemented affordably at scale whilst delivering on customer expectations.”
