UWLA MD Yvonne Orgill says that the plan for a mandatory label announced by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), on Friday 29 September will create confusion and unnecessary expense.

The comments were made following the publication of the response to the consultation which took place earlier this year.

Yvonne said, “The decision by Defra to progress a mandatory label will create confusion, as under their proposals there will be a UK only label, creating extra administration and expense for many manufacturers that operate across Europe and the UK.

In addition the cost of re-inventing the wheel by developing new technical criteria, testing products and setting up a whole new scheme, when this already exists via the Unified Water Label, is not only expensive for the industry but a waste of public money.

“Government is extremely misguided in spending time and money developing a label when there is a recognised and existing scheme developed by the industry, that they could utilise, at much less cost and more effectively.

“The document also omits any mention of a campaign to influence consumer behaviour, which is essential for any scheme to succeed, and something that the UWLA has been addressing since the scheme’s inception.

“The UWLA is fully committed to helping government address the issue of water efficiency but believes that it could work with, and listen to industry more.

“The Unified Water Label Association has responded directly to Defra and will be stepping up its campaign to lobby government for a reversal of this direction, with a view to adopting the existing Unified Water Label.”

Houzz Inc., a home renovation and design platform, has introduced new Schedule upgrades in Houzz Pro, the all-in-one software for residential construction and design professionals.

The Houzz Pro Schedule tool helps pros map out a project timeline, track progress and visually communicate the plan to everyone involved to ensure that equipment, materials and personnel are on-site at the right time. Now, pros can use the schedule overview to see all of their projects on a single calendar view to better manage subcontractor schedules and identify opportunities to book new business. 

Custom templates can now be created and saved in the Houzz Pro Schedule tool for each project type such as ‘bathroom renovation’ or ‘kitchen renovation’, to help pros get future projects moving more quickly. Pros simply add a new start date into the tool, then phases, items and tasks populate a schedule that can easily be updated to address the individual needs of each project.

Other project management tools in Houzz Pro include Daily Logs, Tasks and Project Dashboards, which can all be accessed on the go from the Houzz Pro mobile app. The Houzz Pro project management tools are available for pros with a “Pro” or “Ultimate” level subscription to Houzz Pro. 

Houzz Pro helps residential construction and design professionals run an efficient, profitable business and makes it easy for them to reach new customers, all while delivering a standout client experience. The software, priced to fit any budget or team, also includes time tracking, online invoicing and payments and other design and business tools. 

The Houzz community includes more than 65 million homeowner and home design enthusiasts and over 3 million home renovation and design professionals around the world in more than 100 categories, including builders, architects, interior designers and landscape professionals.

Learn more about the Houzz Pro Schedule tool here.

Today we hear from Tom Reynolds, chief executive at the Bathroom Manufacturers Association, as he extols the benefits of bathroom smart technology and highlights new regulations to keep it secure.

In today’s rapidly evolving world, homeowners in the UK are increasingly embracing the idea of a connected home. With the integration of smart technology, convenience and efficiency have become top priorities for those looking to enhance their living spaces.

According to a study conducted by Statista, the number of connected devices with an integrated virtual assistant (think Alexa, Echo) in UK households is 36%. The bathroom is no stranger to this technological revolution. From apps for smart mirrors and lighting to innovative smart showers, homeowners are seeking ways to make their bathroom experiences more personalised and convenient.

Smart showers have emerged as a game-changer, allowing personalised profiles and tailoring the ideal shower experience. Connected devices are not only about convenience but also about environmental responsibility. Smart toilets, for instance, can gather data via an app to show consumers their weekly water usage. This empowers users with information and could encourage them to be more aware of their water consumption.

While the benefits of connected devices in the bathroom are numerous, addressing the security issue is essential. In 2021, Which? estimated that a “home filled with smart devices could be exposed to more than 12,000 hacking or unknown scanning attacks from across the world in a single week”. Two years on, this highlights the importance of safeguarding our homes against potential breaches.

In the UK, draft regulations under the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 (PSTIA), set to take effect in April 2024, impose stringent security requirements on manufacturers, importers, and distributors of connected products. These regulations stipulate that default passwords must either be user-defined or unique per product, users should be able to report security issues, a minimum support period must be provided, and manufacturers must provide a statement of compliance with security requirements.

As these technologies continue to evolve, members of the BMA are committed to adhering to the new regulations set forth by the PSTIA, ensuring that security remains a top priority in the connected bathroom of the future.

The connected bathroom is a shining example of how technology can make our lives more enjoyable and eco-friendly. As homeowners increasingly seek smart solutions for their living spaces, bathroom designers and architects in the UK have the opportunity to create cutting-edge, secure, and efficient environments that cater to the evolving needs and desires of their clients, with security always in mind.

Roman is a member of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), which is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. On 25th September, it will be eight years since the world adopted the UNGC’s SDGs. To raise awareness of the SDGs Roman took part in the global movement working #TogetherForTheSDGs and joined the UNGC’s SDG Flag campaign.  

The UNGC hope that by raising an SDG Flag, organisations will show their commitment to the Global Goals and the action that they’re already taking to combat major global challenges including climate change, gender inequality, poverty, and poor work. With only 1 in 10 people in Britain familiar with the SDGs, raising the SDG flag is essential to mobilise stakeholders for action. 

David Osborne, chief executive officer at Roman, commented: “Roman is proud to be supporting the UNGC Flag Campaign and to help create more awareness for the SDGs. We have embedded the SDGs and the Ten Principles into our activities and corporate governance – perhaps more importantly into all levels of operations and strategy. As a British Manufacturer, Roman take sustainability and CSR extremely seriously and we are proud to be a member of the prestigious and far-reaching, United Nations Global Compact Network.”

Britain’s biggest housebuilder has said it will take at least two years for the housing market to recover.

David Thomas, chief executive of Barratt Developments, said the number of new builds constructed in Britain would fall for at least the next two years as high borrowing costs hammer sales.

Barratt warned it would build 3,000 fewer homes next year in response to falling demand and said it has stopped buying new land to build on.

Mr Thomas said: “The number of homes being built next will be down considerably. There won’t be an increased volume of homes until 2025 earliest, if not 2026.”

The dour outlook came as figures showed last month was the worst for house building across the UK since the first pandemic lockdown in May 2020.  

The S&P Global/CIPS UK Construction purchasing managers index (PMI) found house building remained the weakest-performing part of the construction sector last month.

Giulia Bellicoso at Capital Economics said: “High mortgage rates have taken the cost of buying a home out of reach for many, causing demand for new builds to slump.”

Ms Bellicoso said new housing starts were likely to drop by a third in the final quarter of the year.

Mr Thomas said: “We expect that the backdrop will continue to be difficult over the coming months.

“Whilst there remains a clear need for increased house building in the UK, short-term demand has been impacted by mortgage affordability challenges.”

Many potential buyers have been priced out of the market after 14 consecutive increases in interest rates by the Bank of England to 5.25pc, which have sent mortgage rates surging.

Barratt is the latest major housebuilder to warn it will build fewer homes as demand dries up. 

Rivals Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey have both said they will have fewer completions next year than last, while the House Building Federation (HBF) warned earlier this year that house building could fall to its lowest level since the second world war.

Government briefing papers suggest England needs around 340,000 new homes built each year but under 120,000 could be completed annually in the coming years, the HBF warned.

Results published on Wednesday show Barratt built 700 fewer homes in the 12 months to June 2023 than it had the previous year. The FTSE 100 completed 17,206.

As well as slumping demand, housebuilders have been hit by nutrient neutrality rules designed to limit the amount of harmful chemicals coming from new homes that make their way into rivers and harm wildlife.        

The rules forced housebuilders to pay for projects to reduce river pollution before homes could be built. Levelling Up and housing secretary Michael Gove recently axed the red tape to boost construction.

Mr Thomas welcomed the change but said planning delays at the local level were still holding up developments.

Mr Thomas said: “Nutrient neutrality removal is good news for the country, especially with more than 70 authorities not providing [planning] consent on this basis.

“We then need local authorities to actually grant planning [permission]. So it will take at least 18 months to two years to build the homes tied up in this. This is not going to unlock homes anytime soon.”

Barratt’s share price fell as much as 1.9pc in early trading on Wednesday after announcing a 16.2pc drop in its adjusted pre-tax profits to £884.3m.

The housebuilder, which employs more than 6,000 people, has reduced its headcount by 6pc, or 400 staff, since 2022.