A 12-week consultation on the proposed label, launched in September, aims to encourage the purchase of more water-efficient products and help customers to manage their water and energy bills.
The label will sit separately from the existing energy efficiency labels on toilets, urinals, taps, showers, dishwashers, washing machines and washer/dryers.
Based on 2019 prices, the government believes introducing the label could save 1,200 million litres of water a day, equivalent to £125 million on the nation’s water bills. It is also expected to save a further £147 million on energy bills over 10 years by improving the efficiency of hot water appliances.
Water minister Steve Double explained: “Water is a precious resources. We want to support consumers so they can make savings without having to make significant changes to their daily lives. These plans will help people to make the right choices to save water and reduce their energy bills.”
The announcement follows record extreme heat in the UK, which should now be considered a ‘new normal’ for businesses, according to the Environment Agency’s chief executive, Sir James Bevan.
“Both for the coming year and, with the impact of climate change, for the coming decade, a complete gear change is needed for how water companies and all water users, from farmers to households, think about how they use water and understand its fundamental value.
“This summer should be a wake-up call for how the nation prepares for weather extremes and how we make the very best use of our water resources.”
Speaking in 2019, Sir James Bevan warned that water demand was predicted to surpass supply in around 20-25 years, adding: “We need water wastage to be as socially unacceptable as blowing smoke in the face of a baby or throwing your plastic bags into the sea. We need everyone to take responsibility for their own water usage.”
Prolonged drought conditions affect all businesses, not just those with water-intensive operations. For example, when water levels in the river Rhine fell by half a metre during drought conditions in Europe this summer, it caused a knock-on impact to international shipping.
Experts recently warned that the UK faces a ‘catalogue of risks’ to critical infrastructure, and that all businesses had an important role to play by monitoring their vulnerabilities and adapting accordingly.