Professionals in the social housing sector are always in search of innovative showering products that meet the needs of residents as the housing market faces ongoing changes. These include water scarcity, with forecasts that the total water demand will start to exceed supply in England no later than 2034, and rising household energy prices.

Since April 2022, gas and electricity prices have been one of the largest contributors to the overall inflation rate, with gas rising by 32% and electricity increasing by 17% in 2023. Additionally, despite gas prices decreasing in October 2023, water prices have increased by 10% in England.

Residents now more than ever need support to reduce water usage and one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to do this is by swapping to a water saving shower head.

At Methven, we understand that reducing water consumption can have huge money and energy impact saving implications – but this must not come at the expense of performance.

Our shower heads are designed to reduce water usage, while lowering gas consumption related to heating the water used.

Our Water Saving Calculator estimates that a Methven shower head which operates at 6 litres per minute can reduce the energy bill for a family of four by £400 plus per year.

As well as the cost benefits, our technology not only enhances the shower experience but also aids decarbonisation by significantly reducing CO2 emissions.

These savings offer environmental benefits and financial advantages for both housing providers and residents. In addition to water-saving shower heads, we have recently introduced the Avoca range, featuring the Cold Start Avoca Basin Mixer, optimised for efficiency at 4 litres per minute. Once again, this is an example of a product innovation aimed to reduce the amount of water used in the bathroom, as well as carbon.

As housing regulation bodies such as the Welsh Housing Standards Authority create benchmarks for sustainability such as the requirement for refurbished properties and new builds to run at 3.5 litres out of a basin tap or a kitchen sink mixer tap, we look forward to making even greater strides to achieving this once such standards inevitably become the norm.

Across the UK, electric shower heaters are the primary products used for showering. Our efforts in advancing decarbonisation and facilitating energy savings for social housing providers also involve providing thermostatic bath shower mixers. These mixers not only offer cheaper operational costs compared to electric showers but also boast lower installation and maintenance expenses. Additionally, with TMV2 approval, these mixers ensure safe family showering, unlike standard electric shower heaters. Thermostatic showers operate at a 5.5-litre water flow rate, resulting in potential savings of over £90 on both expenses and installation times for residents.

We are passionate about helping social housing providers decarbonise their housing stock and in doing so help residents reduce their bills and environmental impact, without having to compromise on performance.

To find out more, visit our website: https://uk.methven.com/specifiers/social-sector