A large part of the world is dealing with extreme rises in costs of energy, food, and fuel, and this also influences the price of water. In Sweden for example, water utilities are increasing the price for water distribution and wastewater disposal up to 25% to cover their current costs and future investments into the network. And that means making your properties water efficient is more important than ever.
Since water and sewerage are the domain of municipalities and governed by national law, the services have to be offered at cost price – but those costs are rising. The rise in prices is based on necessary investments for the future, says Karolina Roos, Head of Finance at Stockholm Water and Sewerage. Aging infrastructure needs to be updated, and the costs of keeping the utility running are increasing as well. With high electricity prices, the utilities’ costs are influenced across the board. Add to that increases in interest, and utilities will not escape the need to raise pricing for their customers.
Scarce Resources
Water prices have steadily been increasing across Europe for a while now. Apart from the current impact of energy and fuel costs, there’s an increased demand due to the continuous growth of the global population and a lack of resources due to pollution and climate change. When a resource is scarce, prices will go up.
The increased demand also requires water companies all over the world to invest in production and infrastructure, which will be reflected in the prices charged to consumers. And these costs only add to the extensive investments needed for maintenance and overdue renovations of large-scale aging networks.
Water Efficiency for Real Estate
The combined cost of the water supply, heating water and sanitation system already makes it one of the biggest costs of property management, even in countries where the cost of water is still relatively low. All the more reason to focus on water efficiency. Monitoring your water consumption, timely leak detection, and implementing water-saving measures can all contribute to keeping that water bill low – and the energy bill, too.
Want to know more about how to become water efficient and save on both water and energy costs? Contact us at info@smartvatten.com!
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