30 May 2006
Worrying evidence has emerged that many people are unaware of water restrictions placed on them in the light of the recent drought in the south-east of England.
Nearly one million people who live in areas where restrictions have been placed on the use of water are unaware of the restrictions, according to research from price comparison site uSwitch.com.
Since the beginning of April, almost 6.2 million households have been subject to restrictions, after eight water companies took action to reduce water usage in the face of unusually dry conditions.
Around 16% of affected customers were not aware that they are prohibited from using hosepipes and sprinklers.
The research also found that less than two million households had received advice on how to reduce consumption, despite water companies being told to provide this kind of information.
"Information and education is vital if ordinary householders are to do their bit to help beat the drought, and clearly there is a lot of work to be done by the water companies on both counts," said Tim Wolfenden, senior product manager at uSwitch.com.
He said that water meters could be part of the solution for saving water across the region.
"While not everyone would be better off financially if they had a meter installed, the fact that they create a link between the amount of water a household uses and the price that they pay, would go a long way towards encouraging people to think about the water that they are using," he added.
See how much you could save on your water bill with uSwitch.com