Distribution of discounted Water-saving Shower Heads throughout Switzerland

Shower head from which water is flowing, against a blue background.

Project type: Energy Efficiency , Water (Purification & Saving)

Project location: Switzerland

Project status: In progress, exclusive

Annual emission reduction of the whole project: 12,000 t

Efficient hot water consumption as part of the “Hot water conservation Switzerland” (“Warmwassersparen Schweiz”) climate protection programme has reduced harmful CO₂ emissions while lowering energy and water costs.

The clever shower heads reduce water consumption by 30-50 percent. Image: myclimate

The perceived comfort remains the same. The soft shower jet is enriched with air. Picture: Sinum

In order to calculate the exact savings, the hot water consumption of more than 100 consumers was measured and evaluated over half a year. Image: myclimate

In Switzerland, 15 per cent of the energy in an average household is used for hot water consumption. This makes hot water the second-largest energy consumer in households after heating systems. A simple and effective way to save water, energy and costs is to use water-saving shower heads. For households with water heating systems that use fossil fuels (heating oil or natural gas), this can also reduce Carbon emissions considerably. Despite the high savings potential, water-saving shower heads are not yet widely used due to fears about lower comfort and technical problems.

The aim of the support programme was to promote the use of water-saving shower heads in private households in Switzerland by offering them at reduced prices. With the water-saving shower heads less hot water is used for showering, which lowers CO₂ emissions. The climate action scheme was implemented in collaboration with our partner sinum AG and was made possible thanks to funding by the KliK Foundation.

The scheme was aimed directly at private households, but public administrations, energy supply companies, housing cooperatives and companies could also make their residents or employees aware of the discounted water-saving shower heads via flyers and text templates. The application deadline for participation in the program expired at the end of 2024.

How does a water-saving shower head work?

The efficient shower heads reduce water consumption by 30 to 50 percent. The average flow rate is reduced on average from 13 litres per minute to seven litres per minute. The comfort level remains the same, as the weaker shower stream is enriched with air.

*Saving potential

The costs of purchasing a water-saving shower head are in no relation to the annual savings. According to calculations by myclimate and figures from energieschweiz (link), a four-person household could save the following on average per year by installing an efficient shower head in their shower:

CHF 95 in energy costs
400 kWh of energy
40 litres of heating oil
13,000 litres of hot water (37°C) on showers
0.1 tonnes of CO₂

Registration for the program and benefiting from discounted water-saving shower heads was only possible until 31.12.2024.

How is the programme being funded?

This climate action scheme is made possible by funding from the KliK Foundation. Find out how the funding mechanism for mandatory contributions to climate protection works on our information page.

Contact

Any questions? Feel free to send us an email or give us a call (+41 44 500 43 50).