British businesses flushing £10 million down the pan

UK businesses are missing out on annual cost savings of £10 million because they’re not taking simple steps to ensure they are using water efficiently, according to a survey released by Envirowise.

The survey of 420 business decision-makers reveals that just under two thirds do not measure or monitor water consumption in their business, while 85% have no water reduction targets in place.

Envirowise calculates the businesses could reduce their water bills by up to a third by taking a few simple steps.

Claire Sweeney, from the government-backed organisation designed to get British businesses using resources more efficiently, said:

With more than 9.8 billion cubic metres being used nationally each year, there is significant potential for businesses to save money and reduce their environmental impact by taking action on water efficiency.

Harvesting rainwater, controls on vehicle washing and monitoring of boiler operations are all ways in which water consumption can be made more sustainable.

The Rippleffect initiative gives businesses the chance to benchmark against others, identify cost savings and measure water consumption more effectively.

[Picture credit: beigeinside licenced from Flickr]