With hotter weather baking the UK and increased costs seen by businesses and the public sector, there’s never been a better time to look at how small water actions can deliver cost reductions, cut carbon and reduce risks to operations.

In fact, smarter water strategies can unlock areas for significant savings, help nearer-term sustainability targets – and help keep water supplies flowing for all.

Sben members Water Plus – 2025 UK Customer Satisfaction Award winners and two times Green World Environment Award winners – shares the latest know-how on the essential steps to take.

1. Small steps with water can lead to big savings

There are carbon emissions linked to all water used by UK businesses and other sites and free and low-cost activities can drive these down – with opportunities to reduce energy costs and cut overall water use too.

Noting meter readings regularly, at least once a month – if you’re not already tracking this – and providing the reads to your water retailer, is an easy action to take which helps reduce bills based on estimated use.

This helps cost control and forecasting and can be done as part of other regular maintenance checks, if the meter is safe to access.

It can also help identify areas where water waste is happening, including leaks which can quickly add onto costs and restrict decarbonisation progress in operations.

And if you have a single meter read, or multiple meter readings from sites, these can be uploaded in seconds on the MyAccount portal that Water Plus customers can access.

Another way to reduce overall use and carbon emissions is introducing small, low-cost water efficiency devices.

At one location, in 2025, these have delivered a 42.5% water saving and reduced hot water use, which means an energy saving too.**

It means an estimated £13.4k saving in wholesaler charges from estimated reduced water use across 12 months, from the devices installed through the Water Plus team and services it can provide.

Wholesaler costs make up 90%, on average, of business and public sector water bills, which is why looking at how to drive down that part of the bill is important.

2. Better water data and analysis can help locate extra savings

Businesses and the public sector are adding data loggers onto water meters in 2025 to gain more detail on daily water use.

These are sometimes referred to as AMR, are attached to water meters and can feed information into an online analysis portal. The loggers can save time, by removing the manual walkaround checks. They can also help with meters that are not safe to take readings from due to access limitations.

And a data logger showed 1,900 litres an hour additional water use that was stopped following a site visit in April 2025, which located an underground pipe leak. It’s a £48k estimated saving, in 12-month wholesaler costs, showing the significant financial impacts and risks for businesses.

A leak on a water pipe at a site could cause water to stop flowing, which would have further reaching impacts for organisations and those that use water in their products, services and across sites.

3. Futureproofing: Improving risk resilience

There are risks of a 6 billion litres of water a day shortfall by 2055, for household water supply and the wider economy, without actions by businesses and each of us.** So, the cost, risks and environmental benefits of taking action now are even clearer.

Monitoring for areas of additional water use and encouraging staff to report leaks to main contacts at your business, all helps quicker reactions and reduces risks for businesses and the public sector.

Encouraging employees to suggest ways to save water and improve efficiency around how it’s used can also be great catalyst for positive change and innovation.

Having an up to date emergency water plan, so you know where to get water if supplies stopped suddenly, is also an important step to take to protect your operation and so staff know what to do in this scenario.

4. Other ways to save and reduce running costs

Reducing tap use can cut thousands of pounds off running costs – as well as reducing demand on water networks, to help keep supplies flowing for everyone.

Reusing rainwater to wash paths, vehicles and water plant beds, as well as using heated water multiple times are all approaches that all reduce tap water use and cut utility costs. 

While a bigger initial cost may be involved for some water reuse processes, the reduction in other costs and increased efficiencies can quickly give a return on investment.

And payback times for investment can be shorter too, particularly since wholesaler price increases for water in April 2025.

So, don’t delay: See the ways to save, today – and protect your business

Access more free information on ways to save water, increase efficiencies and cut carbon emissions – to help progress towards sustainability targets – at: water-plus.co.uk/better-ways-with-water .

And see the Water Plus LinkedIn for more blogs, webinars and advice from our team of water experts.

* 42.5% water saving, on average daily use, tracked by a data logger on a water meter in March 2025.

** UK Government information published June 2025 estimated a 5 billion litres a day shortfall by 2055 for household water supply – and a further 1 billion litres a day deficit for the wider economy – without continued action.