Set against the backdrop of making sure there is enough water available to both to maintain and enhance the natural environment while also serving an increasing population, this incentive involves customers playing their part in ensuring there is enough water for all in the future.
Set against the backdrop of making sure there is enough water available to both to maintain and enhance the natural environment while also serving an increasing population, this incentive involves customers playing their part in ensuring there is enough water for all in the future.
By 2025, we are targeting the average amount of water used by each of our customers to reduce from 146.2 litres per day in 2019/20 to 134.5 litres per day. This is equivalent to our Ofwat target for per capita consumption (PCC) of reducing consumption by 7.6 per cent from our 2019/20 three-year average baseline of 147.05 litres per day.
Our original WRMP19 target for 2023/24 was to achieve a reduction of 5.8 per cent from our 2019/20 three-year average baseline of 147.05 litres per day, equivalent to a PCC of 138.5 litres per day. Based on our outturn PCC for 2023-24 our three-year average PCC is 150.8 litres per day equivalent to a 2.6 per cent increase. Since setting these targets a series of factors, including fewer people commuting out of our supply area during the working day, have impacted the way that water is used across our society in recent years causing an increase in water usage.
How have we performed?
During 2022/23 our customers each used an average of 150.3 litres of water per day. During 2023/24 the average use was 143.4 litres of water per day equivalent to a 4.6 per cent reduction.
We are passionate about helping our customers reduce their water usage. Some of the tools we use to achieve this are partnerships and community campaigns. In 2023/24 these included a partnership with East Grinstead Town Council to promote water efficiency, a partnership with Ashford Borough Council to promote water efficiency in schools, and our Community Hub programme where we attend community events with our redesigned trailer to raise awareness of water efficiency, giving away devices and running competitions to win water butts.
In addition to this, we have also surpassed our target to distribute 130,000 free water-saving devices to customers. By year end, we’d sent out 180,495 devices, including leaky loo detection strips and water-saving shower heads.
We are continuing our efforts to reduce per capita consumption during 2024/25 with our ongoing Household Customer Improvement Programme. This programme encompasses five key approaches to delivering our challenging PCC reduction, primarily through behavioural change methods and direct intervention with our customers. Our 2024-25 programme includes:
Understanding our customers through research
- Revised customer segmentation to provide tailored messaging
- Household behaviours
- Water usage behaviours
- Business customer need
- Usage and effectiveness of campaigns
Behavioural change messaging campaigns
- Access to our Neighbours Usage Comparison Report for non-digital users
- Trialling incentivisation and gamification
- Expanding our children’s education programme, including access to digital resources
- Including water saving advice in our new newsletter
- Delivering tips and advice to non-digital users via door drops
Partnerships
- Expanding our community partnerships with local councils or similar stakeholders
- Community partnership events throughout our regions with partners
- Partnering with local councils to provide Water Butts
Water efficiency devices
- Continued provision of free water efficiency devices to customers
- Expanding our range of water efficiency devices, including colour change shower heads
- Expansion of Leaky Loo Strip provision
Household audits
- Water efficiency home audits including fitting of devices
- Water efficiency audits for business customers
