The average new build home cuts water consumption and the average water bill by 27%
Last year’s new build homeowners helped save more than 3,300 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of water and were rewarded with bills that were on average 27% cheaper than those living in older properties, new research shows.
The ‘Wat-er Save’ report released by the Home Builders Federation examines the increasing water efficiency of the homes now being built in England and Wales. It finds that the average new build household uses 96,000 litres of water per year, compared to 130,000 litres used by occupants of existing properties.
This is a result of the efficiency measures embedded into new build designs that mean nearly all new homes are delivered to use an average of 110 litres per person per day (LPPPD), compared to the typical 150 LPPPD used in older homes. Common water-saving features include low flow shower heads and taps, dual-flush toilets and modern appliances that require less water.
As a result of these water efficiency features, the research shows that new build homes have collectively saved more than 42 billion litres of water in the last five years - the equivalent of four times the amount of water passing through the River Thames each day.
With the strain on water resources increasing due to climate pressures, population growth and mounting demand, the home building industry and the residents of new build homes are playing an increasing part in supporting reductions in water consumption.
Neil Jefferson, Chief Executive of the Home Builders Federation, says: “Home builders have taken significant action to improve the water efficiency of
new homes, positively contributing to the Government’s sustainability goals, while helping reduce household running costs and saving new build buyers money.
“We remain committed to working with Government to go further, delivering more desperately needed homes while also driving sustainability improvements. As developers continue to invest in increasingly water-efficient homes, we need Government to put in place clear guidelines and transitional arrangements and ensure water companies are investing in infrastructure to avoid complications and delays in housing delivery.”
Stephanie Fox, Head of Water Efficiency Engagement at Waterwise, says: “"If we want to grow the economy, tackling water scarcity must be made a priority across all organisations. Our UK Water Efficiency Strategy to 2030 calls for all new developments to be much more water-efficient, which is vital to achieving the UK's environmental ambitions and will help save homeowners money.
“We look forward to working with the Home Builders Federation to ensure homes of the future are achieving high environmental standards for water efficiency. We also welcome the target set of trying to achieve 90LPPPD by 2035 and will always strive for further ambition."
Ed Lockhart, CEO of the Future Homes Hub, says: “The HBF’s Wat-er save report published today draws welcome attention to the fact that, while new homes are already more water efficient than existing homes, water pressures, which are already beginning to bite in some areas of the country, are set to get more severe.
“The Environment Agency predicts a shortfall of nearly 5 billion litres of water per day, by 2050. The Water Ready report, published earlier this year by the Future Homes Hub, proposes the roadmap for how the Government can introduce higher standards for water efficiency over the next 10 years to ensure we can continue building homes sustainably at the scale needed. Both reports emphasise the need for early clarity, sufficient transition timelines and understanding residents’ needs.”
New build homes will see a staged reduction in average water consumption over the next decade or so as it works towards supporting Government’s ambition to reduce the use of public water supply in England per head of population by 20% by 2037.
The 'Water Ready’ report published earlier this year by the Future Homes Hub, an independent organisation facilitating cross-sector collaboration to meet environmental goals, outlines a framework for new homes to achieve 90 LPPPD by 2035.
The industry is therefore urging Government to ensure adequate and timely transitional arrangements are in place. Too frequently regulations are introduced with fundamental details subsequently made available without the necessary timeframe to be delivered. This leads to delays and additional costs that hamper housing delivery and place home building businesses under strain – particularly SMEs.
Read the full report on our website hbf.co.uk/policy/water-save