BREAKING: Government confirms mandatory water label

The Government has announced plans to bring in a mandatory water efficiency label that could lead to KBB retailers being liable if they sell products that do not carry the label or do not visibly display it in their POS for products that do.

The new regulations, announced today, are part of the Government’s 25-Year Environment Plan to reduce personal water consumption to 110 litres per day by 2050.

In a statement, Environment Secretary George Eustice said that the mandatory water label is being introduced to “inform consumers and encourage the purchase of more water efficient products for both domestic and business use. We will consider the potential to achieve energy savings, as well as further water savings, and explore how these can be achieved in a way that minimises the impact on consumers.”

He also revealed plans to “develop a roadmap towards greater water efficiency in new developments and retrofits in 2022”. This, it said, would include “the exploration of revised building regulations and how the development of technologies can contribute to meeting these standards”.

While the very broad statement confirms the mandatory water label regulations, many in the industry will be waiting for further information on timescales and, crucially, how these regulations will be enforced – if at all.

Yvonne Orgil, the managing director of The Unified Water Label Association (UWLA) has been urging the KBB industry to take a more active role in water-saving for more than 10 years. Only last month – during an episode of The kbbreview Podcast – she warned the industry that if action was not taken the Government would make it a legal requirement.

It is understood that The Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) and the UWLA will push for the adoption of the existing Unified Water Label scheme but at this stage there is no formal indication from Government that it will automatically use it.

BMA Chief Executive, Tom Reynolds, said: “Water efficiency labelling is embraced by the sector, under a voluntary scheme which has been in existence for many years, the Unified Water Label.  

“BMA and its members are committed to working with Government to develop and implement any new mandatory UK requirement. The Unified Water Label is tried and tested, and already backed by industry, providing an efficient and effective way for Government to ensure consumers are fully informed, and it will avoid the confusion of double labelling.  
 
“More than two thirds of domestic water use is used in the bathroom, and manufacturers are ready to lead the way in helping everyone reduce their water use.” 

Orgill also welcomed the importance the government was putting on it sustainability policies and urged the government to adopt the existing label.

“We are looking forward to working with the government and taking forward our industry water label, a unique tool, developed by industry experts and used extensively to identify water use of bathroom products,” she said. “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.

“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, by working together we have made significant progress, taking on board the challenges and driving forward changes in opinion and habits in consumers.

“If we can continue to work collectively towards a common goal, I am confident that with government support we can make the Unified Water Label a mandatory solution that works for the industry and the consumer.”

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