Using smart meters for household water consumption feedback: Knowns and unknowns

Published16th Conference on Water Distribution System Analysis, WDSA 2014A range of adaptive strategies are needed to mitigate the growing threats to water security. Demand management will play a central role in adaptation. The proliferation of smart metering provides a means for utilities to better quantify end user demand, and to provide consumption feedback to consumers in (near) real-time. Such feedback can help close the gap between perceived and actual water consumption. However, relatively few studies have considered the effectiveness of feedback in promoting water saving behavior. This paper evaluates the evidence for the effectiveness of water consumption feedback technology in promoting water saving behavior.The research leading to this report has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under the iWIDGET project, grant agreement no. 318272