I know it’s very British to start an article talking about the weather, but it’s fair to say we’ve seen both sides of the coin recently.
In July we were sweating through the longest heatwave for seven years, so out came the paddling pools, sprinklers and water pistols as the nation tried to keep cool. Then at the end of the very same month, a clean-up operation was going on after a flash flood in a Pennine area of West Yorkshire.
The point I’m trying to make is that water is important, and we use plenty of it in the UK. In fact the Environment Agency estimates the average person uses 150 litres every single day.
That seems like a lot I know, but when you think most of that is being used for washing and flushing the toilet, and then there’s drinking, cooking, watering the plants, giving the car a wash and filling up your water balloons in the hot weather – and it soon adds up.
The problem is, because we’re all using so much, water stress is a problem that will only get worse. The fear is in the future, there just won’t be enough water to go round and that’s a scary thought. In the here and now, bills are on the rise so people should be looking for ways to save their water and stop their hard-earned cash (literally) going down the drain.
Luckily Plumb and Parts Center is working hard with installers and other industry leaders to provide a solution which makes homes more efficient and means households have enough water at a better price. Which is why we’re proud to be part of the Bathroom Manufacturer’s Association’s water-efficiency labeling scheme, The Water Label.
The Water Label scheme is similar to the energy-efficiency labels on electrical appliances, and will move towards full labelling of bathroom products for water efficiency by the end of 2014. The initiative will make it much easier for people to choose water efficient products when designing their bathrooms and kitchens, which is a big benefit to installers as they can easily and accurately recommend which products are most efficient, and best for the job.
Choosing a new water-efficient toilet or shower, based on information from The Water Label, will radically cut a person’s average water usage and save them some money, while providing installers with more opportunities for work. Now that’s a win-win situation.