Do the stickers on our water-using appliances and plumbing products lead to economic benefits and help reduce household environmental impact? This was the question the UTS Institute of Sustainable Futures (ISF) was commissioned to explore. Little did they know how far their research would travel.
The results were astounding. Their review estimated that in 2017 the scheme saved 112 billion litres of water, saved consumers over AU$1 billion on their utility bills, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 1.9 million tonnes. It also estimated that the scheme would save 231 billion litres of water per year by 2036. For customers, that would mean AU$2.6 billion in utility bill savings per year. In addition, it found there will be a cumulative reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of around 56 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents by 2036.
“These big numbers clearly demonstrate how successful the initiative has been; but what’s been really eye-opening for us was a project we initiated in 2023 to find out exactly how far these research reports travelled,” says Associate Professor Fane.
“We’ve been amazed to see how much they have been cited and used, not just by water utilities, lobby groups and politicians in Australia and New Zealand (where the standard also applies), but globally.”
