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Did you know that the average UK business uses 30% more water than it needs?
Business water costs aren’t always a top priority for businesses, particularly in places that don’t have a shortage of water. However, environmental scientists have predicted that worldwide fresh water shortages will be one of the world’s biggest environmental concerns in the next 50 years, so saving water in your business is a priority.
WHY SHOULD WE SAVE WATER?
- Water is a precious resource, with growing population rates and only 3% of water on earth being available for drinking there needs to be a bigger push to preserve and conserve it (Source: The Balance Small Business).
- Your business could lower its overheads by making even the smallest of changes in saving water in your business. Every little change can help in reducing your water bill which can impact your business profit.
- Becoming more water efficient can boost your businesses environmental credentials. As a lot of energy goes in to treating and supplying business water, by reducing your water consumption it can reduce your energy consumption, which impacts your carbon footprint.
HOW CAN BUSINESSES SAVE WATER?
To find out about ideas for saving water for your business, we’ve put together some simple tips to help businesses reduce their water consumption and save on their water bills:
OFFICE FACILITIES
Most UK businesses have bathroom and kitchen facilities that their employees use. There are a lot of water saving controls that you can implement in these areas to help reduce your water consumption.
Install cistern water savers
Toilets use a lot of water, especially in businesses where they are regularly flushed. Water savers can be placed in the cistern of a toilet to reduce the amount of water that is used each time it is flushed. These simple devices can save you between 1 and 3 litres of water per flush.
Install automatic taps
These automatically shut off after a set amount of time to reduce water wastage and the likelihood of drips. Did you know that a tap that drips 10 drips per minute wastes approximately 3 litres of water per day – over a year this could fill a small swimming pool?! If you do have any dripping taps, make sure you fix them as soon as possible.
Buy energy saving appliances
Use the Eco setting on all your kitchen appliances, and where possible make sure they have an ENERGY STAR rating. These will not only help reduce your water consumption, but your energy consumption too.
INSULATE PIPES AND TANKS
Make sure your business is ready for winter by insulating water tanks and external pipework. This can massively reduce the chance of a burst pipe, which could cost your business a lot of money and wasted water.
REGULAR CHECKS
There are some regular checks that businesses should do to make sure that no water is wasted throughout the site.
- Check water meters on a regular basis. If you are concerned or suspect any leaks, check the meter at night or when no water is being used. If the meter is still ticking over, then it is likely that you have a leak on the premises.
- Regularly check all water sources (e.g. taps, toilets, and radiators) for any drips, leaks or other wastage. This should also be part of your employees’ general day to day tasks too, to ensure you find any water waste issues as early as possible.
- Check your monthly water bills and keep an eye on your consumption. If there are any unexplained spikes, this could identify an issue which is leading to wasted water on your premises.
EDUCATE EMPLOYEES
No matter how many water efficiency tips you implement, it could all be pointless if you don’t get your employees on board too. Educate all of your employees to understand the importance of water efficiency to the environment and your business. To make sure these are being implemented, you could set usage goals throughout the business and reward the employees when these are reached.
SWITCH SUPPLIER
Switching your supplier could be the easiest way to save money on your water bill. The business water market in England was deregulated in April 2017, which means that businesses now get the choice of who supplies their business water.
Most businesses will often be placed on a deemed rate, which might not be the best option for their business. By choosing your own supplier, you can find the best plan to suit you and often this will save you a lot of time and money.
Yü Energy now offer business water plans, which could help businesses save on their water bills.
By putting your gas, electricity and water all with one supplier, it means you’ll streamline your utilities – only speaking to one supplier to help you with all your utility needs. This is also great for businesses with multiple sites, by reducing admin time by only speaking to one supplier for all queries.
If you would like more information about our Business Water Plans, speak to us today.