Families moving into new homes could save over £100 a year on bills thanks to simple water-saving measures – while also helping to unlock much-needed
housing across the country.
The government has announced new plans to strengthen water efficiency standards, aiming to ease water shortages that have delayed developments in some parts of England. These changes will play a key role in delivering the commitment to build 1.5 million homes by 2030.
A 12-week consultation launched today sets out proposals to update building regulations so that all new homes include features like aerated taps and showerheads, plus dual-flush toilets. Together, these measures could reduce household water use by around 20 litres per person each day – the equivalent of saving families about £111 a year on combined water and energy bills.
But it’s not just about the money. Using less water also helps protect rivers, lakes, and rare chalk streams, reducing the pressure on natural habitats at a time when England is facing growing water challenges.
Environment Secretary, Emma Reynolds, said:
“We are getting Britain building faster, and a key element to growth is smarter water consumption.
Removing the water shortage barriers that have stalled development for too long will mean unlocking thousands of new homes while saving families money.
Not only will this make customer bills cheaper; it will protect the environment and unlock thousands of new homes as part of our Plan for Change”.
Research shows that for every 5,250 homes built to the new standards, water efficiency improvements could free up capacity for an extra 1,000 homes – particularly important in places like Cambridge and north Sussex, where developments have been held back by limited water supply.
The measures support the wider target of cutting average water use in England by 20% per person by 2038, and to reach just 110 litres per day by 2050.
The consultation will also look further ahead, gathering evidence on innovations such as using harvested rainwater for flushing toilets.
With climate change and rising demand putting water supplies under strain – and after seven consecutive months of below-average rainfall – the government says action is essential.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has worked with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to shape the plans, ensuring they tackle both housing delivery and water security together.
Dr. Tom Dollard, Chair, Good Homes Alliance welcomed the consultation saying:
“Our membership is facing real challenges in delivering new homes due to a lack of water capacity in their areas.
If we are to meet the Government housing delivery targets and unlock economic growth then we must start building more ‘water smart’ homes and neighbourhoods.
We would like to see a refreshed Part G that is aligned to the water neutrality hierarchy, and a fittings-based approach combined with a water labelling scheme that would deliver water efficient homes at scale across the UK.
We encourage all stakeholders from across industry to respond to this important consultation.”
Ed Lockhart, CEO of Future Homes Hub:
“Water shortages are already constraining housing growth and the water supply shortfall at national and regional levels will widen without concerted action.
To sustain delivery of new homes at the levels required for everyone to have a decent home, homes need to become progressively more water efficient, alongside largescale investment in water infrastructure and demand management in other sectors.
That is why the Future Homes Hub proposed a water efficiency roadmap for the new homes sector in the 2024 Water Ready report. We therefore welcome the Government consulting on proposed efficiency measures and look forward to working with the Government to ensure water efficiency can be implemented affordably at scale whilst delivering on customer expectations.”