Home surveys

Introduction

Essex & Suffolk Water has been running water efficiency projects since 1997 and has since contacted over 149,000 households. Undertaking the projects emphasises our commitment to promoting the wise use of water and have also resulted in significant long term water savings thanks to the contribution of so many customers.

Background

Following the launch of the first pilot home surveys in Chelmsford and Hartismere, a further project was undertaken between January and March 2000 in the Silver End and Rivenhall area in partnership with Braintree District Council. The home survey included a comprehensive survey of water using appliances in the home and garden, and the provision and fitting of water savings devices such as cistern displacement devices, tap re-washering, and water efficient shower heads. A similar home survey scheme was carried out in Burnham on Crouch between June and September 2000.

The home survey project was developed further and undertaken on a larger scale in the Southend and Hartismere areas during 2001. It was based on the successful projects at Silver End and Burnham on Crouch, and on models used in America. The customers were provided with a pack containing a guide to the survey process, a dripping tap flow gauge, a shower flow bag, a shower timer, a save-a-flush, a tap washer pack and a trigger hose gun along with the questionnaire. The aim was to promote water efficiency to customers and encourage them to undertake the survey themselves and in their own time, though assistance was available.

Similar projects on a larger scale were undertaken in the Southend area in 2002, in the Brentwood and Romford area in 2003/4 and in the Thurrock area in 2005. The projects were developed slightly each year in terms of the method of contacting customers and pack delivery.

Recent projects

Following the completion of the home survey project in Thurrock in 2005, we developed our approach and implemented the Water Saving Toolkit project. Rather than giving participants a standard pack of water saving products, we wanted to allow the customer choice in what they received. Participants were given a limit of 30 credits in which to ‘spend’ from a list of products allowing them to create their personal pack to suit their needs.

As always, we are continually looking to improve the projects and find new and innovative ways to deliver the water efficiency message to our customers, and our current home survey project named H2eco reflects this. This project, which has just entered its second phase, is based on the concept of participants working through the self audit process by completing a workbook. The workbook helps the participant to make informed decisions on which water efficiency products will suit them and their home.

Use the links below for more details about the projects and for the final reports.

Water efficiency home surveys	Fact sheet	Full report
Southend (1)
Southend (2)
Brentwood and Romford 2003/04
Thurrock 2005
Sustainable water audits 2005
Water saving toolkit