Scots are using less water due to fears for the environment

The majority of Scots are reducing how much water they use at home amid environmental concerns, according to new research by Water Plus.

• More than half (56%) of Scots say they’re using less water at home than they did 12 months ago
• Two-thirds (67%) cite environmental concerns as their main motivation for cutting back
• But just two in five (39%) have done similar at work, with water-efficiency bottom of organisations’ sustainability priorities across both the public sector and the private sector, according to employees.

The majority of Scots (56%) have reduced the amount of water they consume at home over the last 12 months, according to research commissioned by the UK’s largest business and public sector water retailer, Water Plus.

The research, published in a new report, surveyed 500 people employed in the private and public sector across Scotland on their attitudes towards water use both at home and at work. Notably, of those who said they had reduced their domestic water use, more than two-thirds (67%) were most motivated to do so because of their concerns about the environment. That’s in comparison to just one in 10 (15%) who have done so primarily to reduce their bills.

But while Scots are increasingly doing things like showering instead of bathing and only using washing machines and dishwashers when full to reduce the amount of water they use at home, more could be done in Scottish workplaces, workers say.

Surveying workers from across the public and private sectors, the study found just two in five (39%) people had acted to reduce their water use at work in the last 12 months, with almost two-thirds (64%) suggesting that their employer could do more to encourage them to be more water-efficient – including highlighting information on water-saving targets and progress towards those.

Water not a priority

According to the research, water is the resource both public sector and private sector organisations are least likely to promote among workers as a way of reducing their environmental impact, behind resources including paper, plastic, glass, energy and food. The findings have been released to provide unique and up-to-date insight for those managing utilities for public bodies to consider their water management further and the opportunity to lower running costs.

Despite water-efficiency being a low priority in the workplace, some Scots are bucking the trend, with a quarter of workers (24%) taking more care of water use at work than at home.  Almost three quarters (70%) of those taking more care at work said the main reason they do so is because their employer encourages them to act more sustainably.

Andy Hughes, chief executive of Water Plus, said: “The findings paint a picture of the Scottish public becoming increasingly in tune with its environmental responsibilities, but not acting with the same sustainable vigour at work as it does at home.

“While we’re seeing a clear trend in people becoming more conscious about how much water they use, the research highlights the significant potential for employers in the public and private sectors to introduce new initiatives to cut consumption at work that could not only reduce bills but also enable them to become more environmentally sustainable. This is not about suggesting workers are wasteful in their water use at work but increasing awareness and encouraging them to take a responsible approach wherever they are.”

The regional outlook

In Scotland’s most heavily populated cities, including Glasgow (60%) and Edinburgh (52%), over half of those questioned have reduced their water consumption at home in the past year. By comparison, three-quarters (75%) of those surveyed in England have reduced their domestic consumption, with Manchester (90%) and Nottingham (89%) proving the most increasingly water-efficient cities.

Andy Hughes added: “As the ‘Blue Planet effect’ continues to influence people’s decision-making in the home, there’s an opportunity for businesses to inspire behaviour change that not only lowers their costs but also contributes to their corporate social responsibility goals.

“It’s evident when looking at issues such as plastic and paper use that there is a direct correlation between those who are encouraged to reduce their environmental impact and those who act – and this can be applied across the board, including for water.”

Water Plus’s new report Flowing in the Right Direction is available to download for free.