Premier Inn targets 20%-per-guest water use cut by 2030

Hotel chain Premier Inn has announced a new target to cut water consumption by 20% per sleeper by 2030.

Owner Whitbread will roll out water-saving technologies across its entire UK portfolio of over 845 hotels, prioritising those in areas at higher risk of water stress. This will include installing upgraded WC valves, water-efficient shower heads and flow restrictors on taps.

The company said: “With the majority of Whitbread’s water consumption classed as domestic, the new target is directly comparable to the UK government’s goal to cut household water consumption by 20% by 2037 – but Whitbread raises its ambition, bringing the target date forward by seven years for Whitbread operated hotels.”

The commitment is part of Whitbread’s wider Force For Good strategy. The company noted a trial had shown a water saving of 20% would also cut the group’s gas consumption and related carbon emissions by 5%.

Rosana Elias, head of sustainability at Whitbread, said:“Reducing water use and gas consumption not only benefits the environment but makes perfect business sense. Not only are we looking at potential significant savings on our water and gas bills, but our hotels will be less impacted by the water restrictions placed on drought-stricken regions which we are seeing with increasing regularity, most recently in 2022."