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Tag Archives: water

The challenge: keeping the taps running and water bills affordable

Posted on 20 February, 2015 by Green Alliance blog Leave a comment

This post is written by Alex Townsend, economic advisor, Adaptation, Committee on Climate Change. It first appeared on the CCC blog.

Green Alliance launched a report on Wednesday 12 February to promote greater water efficiency as a way to reduce water bills, particularly the benefits for low income households. Water bills are set to fall slightly in the next five years. Over a longer time period, climate change and population growth will put upwards pressure on bills if appropriate action is not taken. Managing water demand, and adopting more flexible approaches to improving resilience, will help maintain affordable bills and secure water supplies over a longer period. Read more

World water day: 5 top facts

Posted on 22 March, 2013 by Sylvia Rowley One comment

To mark world water day, here are 5 water-related facts, courtesy of Waterwise.

1. In the UK we flush 2 billion litres of water down the toilet every day.

2. In Abu Dhabi, average per capita household water consumption is 3,300 litres per day; in the UK it’s 150 litres, and to survive a human being needs about 4 litres. Read more

Natural environment

Don’t be fooled by the rain – the UK needs water metering

Posted on 2 August, 2012 by Green Alliance blog Leave a comment

This is a guest post by Nicci Russell, Policy Director at Waterwise

After the wettest ever June, the average total rainfall for July had already fallen by the middle of last month. And the drought earlier this year was dubbed the wettest ever. But drought it was, and groundwater levels were at record lows in many areas. Water companies are planning now for the possibility of a third dry winter, which really would put the cat amongst the pigeons. These increasing extremes of weather mean it is vital for us to get a grip on how much water we all use – and waste – every day. Read more

Through the keyhole 4: water

Posted on 16 March, 2011 by Sylvia Rowley One comment

“You don’t hear them pushing about it… using water doesn’t sound as harmful as using the electricity and that.”

The fourth in our series of ethnographic films looks at water use. This is the area that our householders had thought, and done, least about.

Most of them were confused about how to save water. Latoya, a student from Reading, says: “I take baths and showers, mainly it would be baths, I love taking baths… I reckon that the shower is more wasteful, it’s more water I’m guessing, because it runs, doesn’t it, constantly.” In fact a five minute shower typically uses around a third less water than a bath, unless you have a power shower.

The only household that had picked up water saving habits was the Ward family, because the mother grew up in Australia where regular droughts have made saving water a priority.

Behaviour change

Making the green deal water efficient

Posted on 2 December, 2010 by Rebekah Phillips One comment

“Water, water everywhere, Nor any drop to drink” so states Coleridge in his lyrical poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. This is the curse of those attempting to get attention for water efficiency. We live in a country that, to the average person, suffers from too much water, ie rain, rather than too little. Read more

Unilever pledge to change the way we wash

Posted on 15 November, 2010 by Sylvia Rowley One comment

Around the world Unilever products – from soap to tea to washing powder – are used two billion times every day.

The showering, boiling and spinning this entails has a large carbon footprint – in fact, on average, 68% of the greenhouse gas emissions produced by Unilever products come from ‘consumer use’ rather than manufacturing or transport

Today at the launch of their Sustainable Living Plan, Unilever pledged to halve the environmental impact of its products. This means that over the next ten years Unilever will have to get into the business of behaviour change.