Surrey research explores how changing bathroom habits could address England's water deficit

A study led by the University of Surrey suggests that altering how people shower, report leaks, and flush toilets could significantly address England's projected five billion litre daily water shortfall.

The report, titled "Promoting domestic water efficiency via behaviour change," involved insights from over 100 professionals across 60 organisations within the UK's water sector. Conducted between October 2024 and April 2025, the research was co-authored with Swansea University, the University of Bristol, and the University of Portsmouth.

England currently consumes an estimated 135 to 150 litres of water per person each day. Smart metering, the primary tool in the government's demand-reduction strategy, expects to save around 450 million litres by 2050. According to the Environment Agency's national framework, 60% of the projected deficit should be resolved through demand management, which researchers believe necessitates behavioural changes at home.

Sector professionals identified reporting or fixing in-home leaks, showering, and toilet flushing as the top behaviour change targets. Showering consumes between six to 15 litres per minute, while approximately a quarter of all drinking water in UK homes is used for flushing toilets. Despite this, the report highlights a disconnect between prioritising these behaviours and understanding their underlying motives.

Prof. Benjamin Gardner, Professor in Psychology and MSc Behaviour Change Programme Lead, noted that effective behaviour change requires understanding what drives a behaviour before attempting to alter it. The report argues that many water-use habits are automatic and persist even when individuals wish to change, due to routine, distraction, and fatigue.

Dr. Pablo Pereira Doel, Human Insight Lab co-director, stated that interventions such as real-time feedback during showers can effectively reduce water usage as they address behaviours in real-time rather than relying on memory. He emphasises the necessity for the sector to systematically invest in understanding these moments across all important behaviours to design lasting solutions.

The research identifies a structural issue: many water companies possess relevant behaviour change research but are not sharing findings due to commercial constraints. The authors recommend using standardised behavioural science tools to allow insight sharing without compromising commercially sensitive details.

The report offers five key recommendations:

• Water sector organisations should actively collaborate with behavioural scientists.
• The sector should invest in understanding water use patterns to develop better change strategies.
• Initiatives should disrupt habits instead of solely educating people about water usage.
• Knowledge on water-saving techniques should be shared more actively.
• Behaviour change should be one of several approaches considered alongside structural and technological solutions.

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