EDITOR'S COMMENT: Water, water everywhere...

Philippa Turrell
Editor, Kitchens & Bathrooms News

…but seemingly there’s still not enough!

If you’ve been caught out by the recent showers (and sometimes) storms, it’s hard to believe that parts of the country are experiencing drought. But it has been the driest spring across England and Wales since 1990 and the driest spring on record for south east and central southern England. Now the environmental Agency has announced drought status for Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, parts of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire and western Norfolk. But many, many more areas are water stressed.

Severn Trent Water has already warned its customers that restrictions in domestic water supplies may become necessary if the dry conditions continue. So shouldn’t now be the perfect time for promoting water efficient brassware and kitchen appliances?

Why not put a display in your showroom window of ‘drought beating’ products. It’s never been a more topical or significant issue. And you can actually help provide a solution for your local area!

For kitchen and bathroom retailers, in rural communities, you could create a campaign (perhaps with the assistance from local newspapers) to ‘save the farmer’ by reducing local water demand. The lack of rainfall means some producers have been prevented from extracting water from rivers to irrigate crops, ultimately leading to their failure. Show your concern and community spirit, through your allegiance with agriculture. On a less altruistic note, it could boost your profile in the local area, provide free editorial, and encourage more footfall through the showroom doors.

But even wider afield, in urban areas not suffering from drought orders, saving water means reducing energy usage – and ultimately saving money from spiralling fuel bills. The UK’s largest energy supplier, British Gas has just announced energy bills will go up in winter and it is likely the rest of the Big Six will follow. In fact, ScottishPower is already set to increase its prices, in August, with gas bills hiked by 19% and electricity by 10%. So use these promotional messages in your showroom and in your advertising, to start helping promote water-saving products.

Water-saving bathroom and kitchen products are not a preserve of the eco-conscious consumer; they are a necessity for all. Get ahead of the game!