A lack of real-time water consumption data is leaving customers unaware and therefore unable to make behavioural adjustments to conserve it.
That was according to an expert panel on the Utility Week webinar, sponsored by Creative EC, on how water companies could meet per capita consumption (PCC) targets.
Water consumption needs to be slashed by one-third to avoid the “Jaws of Death” the chair of the Environment Agency warned two years ago, but for AMP7 the PCC reduction targets averaged 6 per cent, leaving significant work to be done in the coming decades.
Jeremy Heath, head of innovation at SES Water, argued that discretionary water use – such as sprinkler systems – could best be influenced by making real-time data available to consumers.
“Water metering is typically not in that real-time space,” Heath said, adding that constraints of battery life meant only hourly or daily data was available. “Not providing real-time feedback is becoming an issue.”
He suggested that showing householders how their habits are directly tied to the financial and carbon costs of, for example, a longer shower, will let customers modify their behaviour.
“There’s a real drive from people wanting to work with their environment. People will want to engage with that,” he said.
Heather Smith, senior lecturer in water governance at Cranfield University, said providing information on consumption in real time can become a “behavioural nudge”.
Nudge theory emerged from behavioural economics as a way to encourage people to choose one option over another simply by making it easier for them, without removing the element of choice.
“When it comes to adjusting behaviours for the sake of a long-term goal like mitigating the effects of climate change it can be difficult. The potential of applying nudge techniques is it plays to biases and uses them in a way that allows us to make behavioural changes. It accounts for the flawed ways we make everyday decisions.”
There have not yet been at scale demonstrations to gauge how effective nudge theory is at influencing water use, but there is a growing understanding that the more data can be shared between companies about the context of water use, the better.
She added that nudges alone would never bring the necessary shift in consumption but could be an important tool.
David Hartwell, head of business development at Creative EC, said that although users can be influenced by the financial side, a lot more often they’re influenced by the C02 impact and recognising the effect on environment. He suggested encouraging consumers to save water by understanding the impacts, but accepted reluctance to have a monitor installed remains. Offering metering technology as a useful device that could help in the event of a leak or burst pipe by shutting off the water supply could boost uptake.
Soren Lau, Microsoft’s general manager internet of things (IoT) for Europe explained the digital capabilities to allow customers to see their usage in real time and react is already available.
With reductions urgently needed in the coming decades to avoid shortages, Smith advocated for building a shared repertoire of effective nudges over the longer term. “Behaviour change is a long game so look beyond this AMP, but it’s realistic to invest during this AMP,” she said.