Turning the tap off when brushing teeth, using a water butt and having showers not baths - at home, we're all well aware of the cost of water
But when it comes to the workplace, it’s a different matter. Clare Galland, water efficiency and environmental services manager at Everflow Water, looks at how to engage workforces in their company’s water use.
At Everflow, our business model has always been to work with SMEs; it’s why Josh Gill, our CEO, launched the company in 2015. He felt the market had traditionally been underserved by the water industry, and he set about changing it.
And it’s worked; we’re the fastest organically growing water retailer in the UK.
However, one thing has leaped out at us from the past six years – employees aren’t bill payers and, as such, aren’t as invested in saving water, or money. Whereas at home they might pop a jumper on before turning the heating up, or think twice before reboiling the kettle to make sure it’s piping hot, at work, anything goes. And that’s because, as far as they’re concerned, the water and heat they use at work is free – because, to them, it is. They’re not hit with a bill at the end of the month, or a meter reading showing how much they’ve wasted, so why should they care?
Help them to help themselves
We’ll start by saying that, while engaging employees is key, employers can also make it easier for their staff to save water, with very little outlay.
Take washing our hands… We’re all hyper-aware of hand hygiene these days, but nobody wants to wash their hands in cold water when it’s freezing outside, so consider using aerating, flow reducing tap nozzles (or flow reducing valves under the sink) to take the sting out when the temperature outside drops.
In a staff kitchen, a dishwasher, while a hefty outlay at first, will soon reduce bills, as it uses considerably less water than running a sink full of hot water a number of times throughout the day.
Sharing is caring
In the UK, 30 per cent of all the water we use is used by businesses, which is why we are so passionate about raising awareness of water wastage among our SME customers.
We know it’s not as easy as it sounds; the lack of smart meters in the UK means that many people are, to some degree, disconnected from how much water they’re actually using. And the situation in businesses is magnified; waiting for the water to run cold for a bottle or filling the sink seven times a day to wash up just doesn’t register in the same way as it does at home. Employees need to be engaged with the idea of water wastage through whatever means necessary, even if that does involve sharing the monthly bills with them or introducing incentives for saving water. Education is also key; signs in kitchens, toilets and communal areas, or monthly meter readings shared throughout the team can all bring the issue to life and make it tangible. Because, just like residential water users, employees can only take steps to reduce their water consumption if they’re made aware of it in the first place. That’s why our CEO, Josh Gill, recently launched the #100Pledges campaign, for members of our team to commit to at least one water-saving action, really thinking about every drop of water they use. The initiative has been so successful within the team that we’re now calling on businesses across the country to follow suit and encourage their staff to count every drop by joining in.
