UWLA MD Yvonne Orgill explains why the government’s commitment to reducing water waste with a mandatory water label is an opportunity for everyone in the bathroom industry.
The Government published a Ministerial Statement on 01 July by secretary of state George Eustice, outlining measures to take forward supporting water-efficient homes, as part of its 25-year Environment Plan to achieve clean and plentiful water.
Among the raft of measures announced is a commitment to introduce a mandatory water efficiency label to inform consumers and encourage the purchase of more water-efficient products for both domestic and business use.
This is good news for all those involved in manufacturing, selling, and installing bathroom products, as well as the environment, as the Unified Water Label is already established in the KBB market place, offering installers the opportunity to advise consumers on performance aspects, compatibility issues and helping consumers make the right choices for their water systems and lifestyle
The Unified Water Label is tried and tested in the market place. It is robust and meets all the demands of the environmental bill. It has been developed by the industry, and is used extensively to identify water use of bathroom products. In the first half of 2021, over 28,000 visitors have used the water calculator and since its development over 10 years ago over 150,000 projects have been calculated.
With the support of the industry we can continue to work collectively towards a common goal, and with government support we can make the Unified Water Label the mandatory solution that works for the industry and the consumer.
It is important that the industry gets behind the Unified Water Label over the coming months to demonstrate the strength and success of our own label. Should the government choose to develop its own label, this could come with minimum standards, which would bring significant challenges.
Introducing minimum standards would limit consumer choice and we are likely to see complexities arising from different water pressures and drainage issues, which will in turn lead to consumer dissatisfaction, resulting in many potentially loss making call outs for installers and plumbers.
The Unified Water Label does not just provide information on water efficiency but associated energy use, something that the government also wishes to address.
The UWLA has welcomed this statement and the importance that the government is now placing on the sustainability message.
We hope that the industry will continue to work with us, taking up the challenge to influence and educate consumers on the options available, and promote products that are UWL registered.
Find out more and how to become involved by supporting the Unified Water Label visit the website www.uwla.eu