Want People to Use Less Water? Tell Them It’s Going to Cost More
A new study finds that warning people about an imminent increase in water prices is even more effective at reducing consumption than the increase itself.
Water drips from a faucet at Lake Mendocino during a drought in California on Aug. 10, 2022.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergWhen people hear that their water is going to cost more, they start to use less of it.
That seemingly obvious finding comes from a new study led by researchers at the National University of Singapore and published this week in the peer-reviewed journal Nature. But the researchers also stumbled across an interesting nuance: The announcement of a water price hike, more than the increase itself, can have a bigger impact on consumption. The conclusion points to the need for effective policy communication when it comes to water-conservation efforts.