Water metering could save 0.5% of UK carbon emissions

From waterwise

Smart metering of our water supplies can play a fundamental role in helping us manage water demand and meet the challenge of the climate emergency.

Emerging evidence, presented in this jointly authored report from Waterwise and Arqiva, demonstrates how smart metering can help us adapt to a changing climate and mitigate our impact on the environment.

Data from smart meters already fitted shows they can help significantly reduce household water consumption; support leakage reduction and therefore bring down greenhouse gas emissions linked to water supply and use. They can help customers reduce their utility bills and enable us to leave more water in the environment.

Our analysis shows that fitting just one million smart water meters in the UK each year for the next 15 years could result in saving at least one billion litres of water a day (1,000 Mld) by the mid-2030s and we could reduce the UK’s current greenhouse gas emissions by 0.5% (2.1MtCO2e). This roll-out programme is both achievable and realistic based on current technology and services. It should form a key part of our green recovery post Covid-19, and UK government and regulators should act to support and enable the water industry to achieve these savings which will help the UK reach its net zero climate targets.