About our work Print
















All the research that we undertake supports our organisational aims and objectives. Our long-term focus is on building the evidence base for large-scale water efficiency, which includes becoming involved with the activities of the water companies as well as researching micro-components of domestic demand and water-using behaviours.

For more information, please email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Area of focus


• Behaviour change
o Better billing and smarter communications
o Incentives (e.g. VAT reductions, rebates, etc.)
o Labelling and product information
o Propensity to retrofit

• Best practice and guidance
o Domestic, non-domestic and industrial
o Local, regional, national and international case studies

• Built environment
o New and existing homes
o Ecotowns
o Products and rankings
o Codes and standards
o Water neutrality

• Climate change
o Adaptation and mitigation in relation to water scarcity and droughts
o Embedded energy in cold/hot water
o Embedded water in energy

• Competition and innovation in the water sector

• Embedded water / virtual water and water footprints

• Measures and values
o Metering, including sub-metering and smart metering
o Components of demand and savings
o Water pricing and tariff structures, and affordability

• Price Review 2009

• Resources and infrastructure
o Greywater
o Rainwater harvesting (small-scale and large-scale)


Current Work


Water-wise Showering

Over the past six months Waterwise have been conducting an intensive meta analysis on the current state of knowledge about showering technologies and behaviours. A summary report with recommendations for future action will be published in October.

With funding from Pilkington Energy Efficiency Trust and in partnership with Kathryn Rathouse, we have also undertaken a small-scale focus group project that has examined energy savers’ attitudes to saving water as an energy saving measure, focusing particularly on showering. The report will be published in October.

Building on the findings from these two projects, we are currently developing a large-scale monitoring and social research project that will aim to fill the gaps identified in the meta analysis, and will look in-depth into people’s perceptions and attitudes to personal washing. If you are interested in being involved, please email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Water Efficiency Labelling

Waterwise have recently undertaken some work for Defra looking into the relationship between water efficiency and energy efficiency in washing machines and dishwashers. We have found that EU Energy Efficiency Ratings are not suitable proxies for water efficiency information, and have also identified several options for addressing this lack of accurate information via labelling. The report has now been finalised and may be found in our Publications section.

Evidence Base for Large-scale Water Efficiency
One area we are very much focussed on is building an evidence base for large-scale water efficiency. As part of this work, we have published the Evidence Base for Large-scale Water Efficiency in Homes, which has highlighted the possibilities for retrofitting homes across the country. This work has identified several areas in which we need to do more work; these we will be tackled over the next couple of years.

Waterwise East Survey of Attitudes

Waterwise East is currently working with Savills on a survey designed to ascertain public and home-buyers’ attitudes to water efficient fixtures and fittings. Results will be included in the Water Efficiency Design Guide for Developers that Waterwise East is producing with BRE, Anglian Water, Essex and Suffolk Water and Grohe.