Yorkshire Water has welcomed the Government’s announcement of new measures to reduce personal water use.

The plans include mandatory water labelling on white goods, which will educate the user about how much water an appliance uses. Evidence from other countries and from the energy labelling scheme shows that giving people more information when they are purchasing white goods helps them make more sustainable choices, it also encourages innovation and improvements in the industry.

The announcement is in response to the Government’s 2019 consultation on reducing personal water use. Other measures included in the response include:

• Asking water companies to develop a consistent approach to fixing customer supply pipe leakage.
• Encouraging local authorities to adopt a tighter standard of 110 litres per person per day, compared to the current standard is 125 litres, for new homes where appropriate, requiring developers to install more efficient fixtures and fittings
• Developing a roadmap towards greater water efficiency in new developments and through retrofits - including options such as rainwater harvesting; water re-use and storage options

Granville Davies, manager of water and catchment strategy for Yorkshire Water, said:

“Population growth means we’ll need to supply more customers in future, but the effects of climate change mean we’ll have less water available, so it’s really important we act now to reduce water use.

“We are pleased the Government will be introducing a mandatory water labelling scheme, it’s a significant step forward for efforts to reduce water usage. However, it is a shame that the measures don’t combine the new water labelling scheme with minimum standards for appliances and changes to building regulations that would require developers to install only the most efficient fittings as rated by a new labelling system.

“We’re constantly working to reduce water use and leakage in our region. We have around 250 leakage inspectors that are out and about looking for leaks every day and we’re currently trialling a smart water network pilot in Sheffield which will help to spot leaks. In the pilot area we found 32% of water lost through leaks came from just 1% of properties – we’ve supported those properties to fix the leaks and have already reduced leakage by more than 92,000 litres of water per day.”

In 2020, Yorkshire Water reduced total leakage by 3% and is on track to meet its target of 15% reduction by 2025. Yorkshire Water also run an annual behavioural change campaign, which encourages customers to save water where they can. For more information, visit