Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | DECEMBER 2022 | 41 Water Comment Jason McKinley Client partner – water sector, Capita T he need to change individual, business and com- munity water consumption behaviours has never been greater. A fundamental shi is essential to achieve community-wide and state-wide water conserva- tion targets, as well as addressing water security in the near future. It is clear that smart meter installation and monitor- ing are critical in driving short and long-term water conservation behaviours. However, there are enduring questions around the e• cacy of smart metering pro- grammes. How can utilities ensure they get the metering data they want, how reliable is this information, and what can they do with it? But, most importantly, how can utilities feed this data back to customers and help drive behaviour change? To truly support customers in reducing consumption, the smart water meter programmes must be aligned with behavioural science insights. As such, com- panies have the opportunity to regularly engage with customers by o• ering advice that responds to household water consumption patterns, while also emphasising critical water saving goals and motivations. As well as improving aware- ness and education around water scarcity, utilities must seize the opportunity to help customers understand the link between water usage and energy bills. In light of the current in a- tion and cost of living crisis, households are likely to be more receptive to this message. While spiralling energy costs o en grab the most headlines, many customers are not yet aware of the impact water usage can have on household bills. On average approximately 25% of energy used in the home is to heat water. It is vital that customers understand that using less water also means using less energy and, ultimately, reduced household bills. There is more to be done by companies and govern- ment alike to help UK consumers join up the dots, and be able to evidence how smart water meters can help reduce household bills and empower consumers to help them play their role in conserving water. By working with the cohort of consumers that are more engaged, these groups could become advocates of smart meters, championing water consciousness and helping drive forward the necessary step-change. Helping customers connect the dots They said: "The data from smart meter- ing is gold dust and it gives us a valid reason to nudge customers to want to be bothered about saving water. But we need that to be standard. That's our only eyes and ears on what and how water is being used. "It's also about the value of water and try- ing to tap into how to encourage a customer to be bothered about their usage." According to analysis from Waterwise, Ž tting one million smart water meters in the UK each year for the next 15 years could result in saving at least one billion litres of water a day (1,000 Mld) by the mid-2030s. However, there was agreement among attendees that urgent action is needed to ensure the smart meter rollout gathers pace. One water company executive concluded: "We've still got a huge volume of the country that is not metered. How do you Ž x a prob- lem if you can't measure it? "We o en don't know where the problem is. We've got no compulsory metering, no smart meter requirement across the country. We're behind many other countries as far as that agenda goes. We've got a long way to—go." Nadine Buddoo, intelligence editor in association with "To truly support customers in reducing consumption, the smart water meter programmes must be aligned with behavioural science insights." This roundtable took place following the publication of a report by Utility Week and Capita exploring how water companies are driving water e ciency and improving engagement with consumers. Download it here: https:// utilityweek.co.uk/water- e ciency-saving-water-money- and-the-environment/

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