Household water efficiency strategies in Cornwall, SW of England

Demand-side measures are thought to be a sustainable approach to meeting the future supply-demand balance. We assess the uptake of domestic demand-side measures and potential factors that may promote the uptake of water efficiency devices. Fifty-one face-to-face questionnaires were used to collect demographic and household characteristics data. We use descriptive statistics and univariate models to assess factors promoting water efficiency. Fifty-one adult participants aged between 30 and 64 years provided data on water consumption and efficiency. Participants investigating water saving solutions and homeowners were more likely to utilise water efficiency devices. Targeted factors shown to promote consumer up-take of water efficiency measures along with strategies utilising low-cost efficiency devices provide a cost-effective means to reduce water consumption.

[1]  D. Greene,et al.  Energy efficiency and consumption — the rebound effect — a survey , 2000 .

[2]  D. Hensher,et al.  Water Supply Security and Willingness to Pay to Avoid Drought Restrictions , 2006 .

[3]  J. Lötvall,et al.  Large scale questionnaire survey on respiratory health in Sweden: effects of late- and non-response. , 2009, Respiratory medicine.

[4]  Sheila M. Olmstead,et al.  Comparing price and nonprice approaches to urban water conservation , 2008 .

[5]  Kriengsak Panuwatwanich,et al.  Quantifying the influence of environmental and water conservation attitudes on household end use water consumption. , 2011, Journal of environmental management.

[6]  D. Howarth,et al.  Communicating water conservation: how can the public be engaged? , 2004 .

[7]  G. McDonald,et al.  The costs and benefits of water demand management: evidence from New Zealand , 2015 .

[8]  J. Balmes,et al.  Outdoor air pollution and asthma , 2014, The Lancet.

[9]  Bill Randolph,et al.  Attitudes to conservation and water consumption , 2008 .

[10]  Céline Nauges,et al.  Household Adoption of Water-Efficient Equipment: The Role of Socio-Economic Factors, Environmental Attitudes and Policy , 2010 .

[11]  Muki Haklay,et al.  Public engagement with water conservation in London , 2011 .

[12]  Nicholas J Osborne,et al.  Higher energy efficient homes are associated with increased risk of doctor diagnosed asthma in a UK subpopulation. , 2015, Environment international.

[13]  Paul A. Sandifer,et al.  Exploring connections among nature, biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human health and well-being: Opportunities to enhance health and biodiversity conservation ☆ , 2015 .

[14]  Jacob Tompkins Programmes et recherche d'utilisation efficace de l'eau domestique au Royaume-Uni , 2008 .

[15]  D. Hensher,et al.  Households’ Willingness to Pay for Water Service Attributes , 2005 .