If you can show us that you are building new homes to 100 litres (per person per day) or less you could get a £380.00 discount off your clean water infrastructure charge.

Water is a precious resource that in future will come under increased demand as the population of the UK continues to grow. By thinking and acting sustainably today we can ensure there’s enough for us all tomorrow. We’d like you to help us look after the environment by reducing excess water usage in and around the home.

To aid the conservation of water, anyone building a new home within England must already comply with Part G of The Building Regulations.

Here are a few really important points about our scheme that we need you to be aware of:

• Your application for the Environmental Discount Scheme must be made upfront, it requires our developer customers to opt in before accepting their quote or agreement. Late or retrospective applications cannot be accepted onto the scheme as we cannot add this discount at a later stage in the process. 
• From the 1st of October your application must include either;
• completed fittings table to demonstrate your fittings do not exceed the maximum capacity/flow rates for each fitting installed along with the data sheets for each fitting being used
• water calculations, via the WRc water calculator, and a list of the itemised fixtures and fittings being installed along with the data sheets for each fitting being used
•  Please also note that:
• we will only accept flow regulators that form part of the original Regulation 4 product approval certificate and can be evidenced via the associated data sheet
• click here to view an example of a data sheet, where you can also see the reference to the factory fitted flow restrictor
• only the flow rates from unmodified fixtures and fittings, as provided by the manufacturer, must be used in the calculation,
• fittings must comply in all cases with Regulation 4 of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, and
  
• we will only accept a specific calculator, the WRc water calculator, details of which are noted below in the section entitled ‘How to apply and demonstrate that you’re building to 100 litres or less’.
  
• We will honour discounts on valid quotes until the quote lapses.
  
• All requotes from the 1st April 2024 will utilise the 2024-25 scheme discount values and qualifying criteria.

Please note the following points:

• Opting into the environmental discount scheme at agreement stage does not guarantee fixed costs for the life of the development as this scheme is subject to annual review.
• Any sites that have already requested the plot connections will be honoured for the validity period of the quotation, which is a maximum of 6 months from the date of issue. If the plot quotation lapses or needs to be requoted and the scheme has changed, you’ll need to provide evidence to meet the new qualifying conditions.
  
• Any connections that have not been called off and will be completed after the 1st of April 2023 should be built to a maximum of 100 litres per person per day to meet the eligibility criteria and will be subject to the current discount value i.e., aligned to the latest Severn Trent Charging Arrangements and qualifying conditions and discount values of any schemes in operation at that point in time.
  

How to apply and demonstrate that you’re building to 100 litres or less

You can choose to apply for the scheme by using either the water calculator or the fittings table to demonstrate you are building to 100 litres or less.

Using the water calculator:

Water usage is easy to calculate using this water calculator(opens in a new window); simply input all fixtures and fittings (e.g. types of taps, bath and toilet) that you will be installing to show the threshold you are building to.

This is the only calculator we will accept from 1^st April 2023 as it follows the methodology set out in Appendix A "Water Efficiency Calculator for New Dwellings" of the Building Regulations Approved Document G, to calculate the level of water consumption for new dwellings. As a HM Government approved document, no changes, amendments or omissions are allowed to be made to any aspect of the calculations.

Using the fittings table:

To provide your fittings information please complete the table below with the name and model of your fittings as well as the maximum capacity/flow rates for each fittings used. You will also need to provide the data sheet for each fitting. The fittings table can also be found here fittings document (opens in a new window).

To qualify for discount, all fittings used must be within the maximum capacity/flow rate. Where more than one of each fitting is used, the highest maximum capacity/flow rate must be entered in the table.

The installation of the efficient fixtures and fittings will help save water and protect our environment whilst also helping to reduce future water bills.

You’ll then need to complete an application form for new service connections and tell us that you would like to opt into the environmental scheme before you accept your quote or agreement. We will not be able to add this discount at a later stage in the process.

For each property that you have opted to include in the scheme, you must provide:

• Either a copy of the WRc water calculator or completed fittings table which shows the threshold that you have built to.
• This must include the manufacturer and model number for all of the water fixtures and fittings being installed in the property.
• Product datasheets showing the flow rates for each product that you are installing.

Regardless of the environmental discount scheme you must ensure that all fixtures and fittings installed comply with Regulation 4, of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999.

If you are unable to provide this information for each property, you will not be eligible for the scheme.

In all cases we will review the information provided by you to confirm compliance with the schemes requirements and confirm the properties that are eligible for the environmental discount scheme.

Assuring compliance

During 2024-25 there will be enhanced evidential requirements and compliance audits. 

Our Water Regulations team will undertake site audits to check fixtures and fittings are compliant and in line with the application form and calculations provided.

If we identify that the fixtures and fittings do not comply with the accepted calculator and specifications, we will contact you and, reserve the right to withdraw the discount and charge full infrastructure charges for properties which fail the audit and the remaining plots on site that are yet to be connected.  Where there is evidence of multiple audit failures, by a developer or agent acting on their behalf, they will not be eligible to apply for the Environmental Discount Scheme (both water and drainage) on future developments for a period of 12 months.

By opting into the scheme you are agreeing to provide access for Severn Trent to audit the fixtures and fittings installed in your properties. Failure to provide access will be treated as non-compliance and result in the same actions as mentioned above.