The BMA has cautiously welcomed a government consultation on introducing compulsory water labelling for fittings and water-using appliances sold across the UK.
BMA Chief Executive Tom Reynolds said:
“The bathroom sector is committed to helping make homes more water and energy efficient. Product innovation is always taking place to try and deliver a great user experience with a lower environmental impact.
“Water labelling can help consumers make informed and more sustainable choices when purchasing a new bathroom. Indeed, the existing Unified Water Label (UWLA) has done much work promoting water efficiency and providing some best practices for effective labelling. Water-efficient purchases, along with behaviour change, are needed if the government is to achieve its target to reduce water use from an average of 145 litres a day to 110 litres by 2050.
“We are still digesting all the policy proposals within the consultation and weighing up what they mean for the sector. There are a few areas where we will seek a little more clarity from officials before formally responding to Defra.”
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) consultation closes in three months. Regulations to introduce mandatory labelling will be laid in 2023, with new obligations, particularly on retailers, by 2025.
Suppliers will need to assess the water efficiency rating of their product(s) and include the label with the product and in marketing literature. Retailers must make the label visible to the customer, including on showroom room sets or face action from a national enforcement body.
For more information, view the UK Mandatory Water Efficiency Labelling consultation document online.