Utility Week

40 | DECEMBER 2022 | UTILITY WEEK Water Event Why smart meter data is the 'gold dust' that can drive water effi ciency F ollowing the UK's record-breaking summer heatwave, it is unsurprising that water scarcity has been at the fore- front of the public consciousness in recent months. But at a roundtable hosted by Utility Week, in association with Capita, experts questioned whether enough is being done to help consumers truly understand the value of water beyond a summer of extreme weather. Concerns were also raised about the disjointed and o• en overlapping engage- ment campaigns and resources from individ- ual water companies. During the event, attendees explored the scope for the water sector to take a more holistic approach to water scarcity, while helping customers to understand their responsibility to reduce demand. The need for companies to work closely with other stakeholders, including the energy sector, was also discussed. One water e€ ciency lead said: "As water companies, we're not going to achieve this on our own. It needs to be a message that comes from a variety of sources. For example, we need water e€ ciency to be part of future national energy e€ ciency programmes. We need it to be a coherent, nationwide approach to messaging and campaigns. We need policy change from government and we need action from other stakeholders so the message is out there at scale." Another water executive said: "We need to tap into helping customers understand the value of water. It's an essential, valuable product and life can't exist without it. There needs to be a nationwide message which is strong on using water wisely. But, I agree, we [water companies] can't do that alone." There was consensus among attendees that more work must be done to help cus- tomers understand the link between water usage and energy bills, particularly in light of the current cost of living. One said: "People just don't make that connection. The biggest element is how we create an emotional connection with our customers to educate and help them under- stand. It's not something we'll achieve in one year. It's something we need to continually develop and build." However, they added: "It's not just around what our customers need to do, we [water companies] need to be credible. We need to accept that we waste more water than our customers. We need to talk about what we're also doing to waste less water." While much of the debate focused on the concerns facing domestic customers, there was broad acknowledgment that business customers must not be le• behind when it comes to addressing water e€ ciency. A water company representative said reducing usage has slipped down the prior- ity list for many businesses as they tackle the challenges arising from the economic cri- sis. They added: "Other things have a habit of taking over sometimes, but we're Œ nding that if we push consistently on one message around water e€ ciency, we start to get some traction. "By far and away the area we focus on most with our business customers is leakage detection and repair. If they understand they have a leak, most of the time they want to Œ x it. They understand the idea that if they're using water when they don't need to, then they're wasting it. That's money that could be in their pocket." To support behaviour change across both business and domestic customers, attendees agreed that data is a vital tool. As part of the drive to collect more usage data and insight, one water e€ ciency expert added that the smart meter programme is pivotal in the eŽ ort to engage and educate customers. A Utility Week roundtable gauged the views of water effi ciency and consumer engagement experts on how the sector can better join the dots to tackle water scarcity.

• Cover