White Paper calls for WC scrappage and standardisation

28 June 2010

As the coalition government completes its first massive task - the Emergency Budget in June - Waterwise has stepped in quickly with a White Paper on saving water. It outlines how the Government can introduce measures to waste less water and includes a toilet scrappage scheme and a call for product standardisation on taps, showers and urinals, which will be of interest to bathroom retailers.

The proposals from Waterwise, a not-for-profit non-governmental organisation, have mainstreaming water efficiency at their core and include radical new steps that the Government could take to reform the water industry and could impact on the k&b industry.

The White Paper suggests the introduction of a toilet scrappage scheme that will enable the estimated 900,000 householders with old 13-litre cisterns to trade their toilets for ones that use a third of this. "56% of the most inefficient toilets are in owner-occupied properties where owners are likely to replace the bathroom suite, so a large proportion of the most inefficient toilets could be replaced by incentivising homeowners to refurbish their bathrooms."

It also highlights that fact that it's only toilets that are subject to water-efficiency standards in the UK, and says this should also apply to taps, showers and urinals to "help drive the market in water-efficient products, making them cheaper for both individual and business customers".

In addition, it wants the government to encourage consumers to choose water-efficient products: "It is also important to ensure that frameworks incentivise consumer satisfaction with products (as well as water savings) – so that, when later replacing entire bathroom suites, they are more likely to do this with water-efficient fittings."

The Paper also refers to the Coalition Government's Green Deal – spending up to £6,500 per home to make 14 million homes more energy efficient – and suggests that £40 of that can be spent on a retrofit of taps, toilets and showers.

It also says there should be a water meter in every home by 2020, and that showers should be standard in all social housing refurbishment and new build: "The installation of showers would be of greatest value in terms of saving water, energy, carbon dioxide, and utility charges."

Waterwise Policy Director Nicci Russell said, "Water efficiency can also help develop the low carbon and green economy, tackle the deficit, and reduce household bills. The Coalition Government needs to place water efficiency at the heart of measures it is already taking to rise to these challenges, such as energy retrofitting schemes for homes."

This White Paper is timely as it comes shortly after kbb industry experts deemed that the water-saving regulations in Part G legislation don't go far enough to make a big difference. By focusing primarily on new homes, the regulations are missing the biggest water-wasting culprits – older homes with outdated, inefficient appliances.

The comments were made during a round-table discussion hosted by Ideal Standard International, and chaired by bathroom designer Robin Levien. Tony Rheinberg, marketing manager at Armitage Shanks, said: "Only a very small number of houses are affected by the new legislation. To make a real difference, government incentives are needed to encourage households to change their old water guzzling WCs."