How to save money on your business water bill in the cost-of-living crisis
23 May 2023
It’s hard to read the news without coming across a story about the cost-of-living crisis at the moment and how it’s impacting on people’s lives. A side effect less talked about is just how much of an effect the rising costs of everything is having on our businesses.
After all, when people have less disposable income to spare, they tend to go on holiday less, go shopping less and pull back on their number of meals out at restaurants and cafes.
Before you know it, local businesses are seeing fewer customers walking through their doors and larger businesses are seeing contracts cancelled. Organisations around the country will therefore suffer as a result, with many also experiencing rising energy and supply chain costs.
Not to mention that many business owners’ and their employees’ wellbeing is also being affected by rising costs at home. One way you can help your employees with these rising costs is to share our cost-of-living support with them as there are a number of ways we can help households get their water bill down.
But as a business, how can you save money during the cost-of-living crisis if you’re currently trying to pinch the pennies? It may seem surprising, but water could be a great place to begin. Did you know that the average business in the UK is using 30% more water than necessary?
Using less water will save you money, lower your carbon footprint, and if you use less water within a manufacturing process that heats water, also reduce your energy bills. Here’s what you can do to keep water bills down.
- Look for leaks
Understand what your current water use looks like. This gives you a consumption baseline to measure your business against. If this suddenly starts to rise unexpectedly, you may have a leak somewhere on your pipework.
Did you know over 90% of leaks aren’t visible? Here are some simple steps to take to identify them:
- If your office, factory or site closes say at 5pm, take a meter reading then, (if it’s safe to do so), and another before it reopens the next morning. Unlike with energy, if your site is completely closed, you shouldn’t be using any water overnight. If the meter dials have moved, then you could have a leak.
- Read further tips here on how to test for a leak on your premises.,
If you suspect you have a leak, contact us to see how we can help.
2. Take control with a water efficiency self-assessment
Regardless of how you use water at your premises, a water efficiency survey can help you identify how to reduce the amount of water consumed.
If you’re a small business, we have a free self-assessment guide here that you can download and complete yourself to help you pinpoint where you can save water.
3. Use water efficient equipment
A longer-term approach, where you specifically look for low water consumption for any new appliances, fittings or processes, can really help to get water usage down. Another option is to ensure your employees use water efficient settings on any appliances, especially if you’re not replacing them any time soon.
If you use conventional hoses in your company, consider using high pressure spray jetters instead. They use pressure instead of a large volume of water to clean.
4. Get a water meter
If you’re not already on a meter, did you know they can help you to track your usage to conserve water and save money? Apply here for yours.
5. Make it a part of your culture
While many employees will already use water saving tips at home, they may not know how to replicate this within the workplace.
Introduce water saving information, an employee suggestions scheme or arrange a water efficiency session to increase awareness of the importance of using water wisely. We even have some water saving posters that you can print and put up around your building.