Water efficiency for business

Our top tips to help you start saving money:

Water Meters

1. Make sure you have a water meter so you can track your water usage to conserve water and save money. Apply here for a water meter.
2. Check your bills to monitor unusual high usage and to check the bill readings match your meter.
3. Take regular water meter readings (when safe to do so) to help understand your water consumption and identify any potential leaks.

Finding leaks

1. Check for leaks in underground pipes, internal plumbing, outdoor taps, sprinklers, and hoses. Click here to watch our video on how to test for water leaks.
2. Ensure all water‑using devices, such as toilets, urinals, and ball valves, are working correctly and not dripping or constantly flushing. Fix leaking taps and overflows immediately, including in remotely located buildings and pipework.
3. If a leak is hard to locate due to extensive pipework (e.g. under a customer car park), installing isolation valves can help identify leaks by zone and is often a cost‑effective solution. If a leak still cannot be found, contact a specialist leak detection company to pinpoint the issue.

Upgrade your toilet facilities to reduce water consumption

There are three ways this can be done:

1. Reduce the amount of water used for each toilet flush by inserting displacement devices in the cistern.
2. Where dual-flush cisterns are installed, place a clearly visible notice to explain how to operate both flushes to prevent incorrect operation and wastage.
3. New toilets may have overflows or leaks that discharge directly into the pan which may not be noticed or reported. Identify toilets with internal overflows and regularly check for discharge.

Wrapping up for winter

1. Empty premises overnight, at weekends, or during holidays increase the risk of burst pipes going unnoticed, causing significant water loss and internal flooding.
2. If leaving for extended periods, consider turning off the water supply at the stop tap. When restarting the supply after closure, follow the correct steps — click here for guidance on safely re‑introducing your water supply.
3. Larger retail units closed over the holiday period may also consider draining the water network during winter to reduce burst risks. If only parts of the site are closed, installing stop taps allows those areas to be isolated. Find out more about preparing your premises for winter here.

Taking advantage of data logging

1. If you manage multiple sites or find it difficult to access your water meter regularly, monitoring water use can be challenging. Data logging offers a solution by connecting monitoring equipment to your water meter and providing online access to usage data.
2. This allows you to track water consumption at a glance, quickly identify issues such as leaks, and take action efficiently. Find out more about our paid‑for data logging service here.