ShowerKap
About
Harness Behavioural Science & Choice Architecture.
We're Pioneers of Purpose
We passionately believe engineering is key to a better tomorrow…
“Showerkap was founded on a mission to leverage technology for the greater good.”
Our story began just over a year ago with a vision—the Showerkap valve—an invention poised to revolutionise the way we value one of our most precious resources and improve the choices we make in how we use it. Since then, we've achieved significant milestones, securing funding, obtaining critical patent approvals, starting the manufacturing process, winning over user audiences, and evolving our vision into the Showerkap comprehensive Water Management System. This system uniquely provides institutions, organisations, and businesses with means to monitor and manage water metrics in unprecedented detail and enables individual users to foster sustainable behaviour.
Our journey has been marked by breakthroughs in personalised water tracking, rigorous engineering testing, and insightful user behaviour research. Exploring Showerkap is more than just discovering a product—it's an opportunity to join an endeavour of significance that can help empower individuals, communities, and businesses to protect our invaluable natural assets and make a positive impact on the environment.
We invite you to explore our innovative solutions, learn about our journey, and join us as we shape a brighter, water-conscious future together.
Steve Harding CEO, Founder and Inventor, Showerkap
“We only think when confronted with a problem.”
— John Dewey 1913.
Pioneers of Purpose
We're dedicated to reducing water consumption through technological innovation and behavioural change. By carving our innovation at the psychological joints of human decision-making, we aim to become 'choice architects.' While maintaining individual freedom, our approach gently nudges users towards better decisions regarding water and energy use. Founded in 2022 by lifelong engineer and inventor Steve Harding, Showerkap demonstrates how engineering, combined with behavioural science, can address water and energy wastage, ultimately contributing to lower costs and carbon dioxide emissions reduction.
We are at the forefront of this engineering philosophy, harnessing the power of behavioural science and choice architecture to effect change in the way people use water and energy. We are passionate about using our skills and knowledge to create cost-effective solutions to address critical environmental and societal challenges. By designing products that are intuitive and user-friendly, we are strong advocates for water conservation, improving water management and ultimately leading to a more sustainable future. Our innovative technology provides a unique solution to the challenges of water usage, not just by changing individual behaviour, but also by revolutionising monitoring and data capabilities.
Our website showcases how the world-first fade shower valve provides real-time water usage data, aligned with our monitoring and analytics platform. Coupled with our behavioural science practice for targeted nudges, it empowers both water users and consumers to swiftly make informed decisions and better choices.
We are driven by doing the right things.
“We are just 25 years away from the jaws of death. Water wastage needs to be socially unacceptable as blowing smoke in a baby's face or throwing plastic bags into the sea.”
— Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive, Environment Agency, 2019.
The Mission
What problem are we solving?
The issue of water sustainability is clear. Anyone doubting the seriousness of water scarcity need only read the headlines.
“Drought parches nearly half of EU stoking food production fears.”
“Beset by drought, China turned to coal to keep lights on.”
“Europe sees another year of droughts and wildfires.”
“All of England’s South West region now in drought.”
“Record drought gripped much of the U.S. in 2022.”
Over half of us worry the UK will run dry within 25 years. The majority of us say we are willing to reduce water use for the sake of the environment.
Despite all this, showering is still the greatest source of water going down the drain* Our personal shower habits still lead to water waste, high costs and negative environmental impacts.
Average Shower Times by age (UK)
14-16, 21m
18-24, 11m 26s
25-34, 9m 10s
35-44, 8m 14s
45-54, 6m 46s
55-64, 5m 46s
Water in top 5 global risks.
Water is ranked among the top five global risks, with over 40% of the global population facing water scarcity and 25% confronted with "extremely high” water stress, making them vulnerable to droughts or increases in water use. Water scarcity and stress are not only personal concerns but also significant challenges for industries worldwide.
Companies and organisations have a responsibility to manage water consumption effectively, not only to protect the communities in which they operate but also to secure the future of their businesses. The value of water exceeds the price they pay, and they face significant pressure to meet sustainability targets, social responsibility objectives, and economic goals. By implementing water-saving technologies and adopting sustainable showering practices at scale they can reduce their environmental impact while ensuring the long-term viability of their businesses.
> 40% global population face water scarcity.
25% face “extremely high” levels of water stress – vulnerable to drought or increases in use.
Hotels use 1,500l room/day (approx).
Tourism can use 8x more pp than local population.
Hotels consume approximately 1,500 litres of water per room per day, a quantity that vastly exceeds the water usage of local populations in water-scarce destinations. Moreover, tourism activities can result in per capita water consumption rates up to eight times higher than those of the local population. The 2018 Cape Town water crisis exemplifies the repercussions, causing a $65 million shortfall in the hospitality industry due to water shortages.
Universities play a significant role in managing water consumption and safeguarding the communities in which they operate, as well as ensuring the sustainability of their own operations.
“The industry has a role managing water consumption, to protect communities in which they operate and the future of their businesses’.”
— Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.
Other industries with a critical role in managing water consumption and safeguarding communities with sustainable practices include: developers, institutions, businesses, hospitals, gym and leisure centres.
The urgency of water sustainability is undeniable. There's no singular solution; technology plays a vital role, but we also need a parallel transformation in our water consumption habits. We must rethink our relationship with water and strive to achieve more with less. The prevalence of behavioural water waste and profligate practices stems from bad habits, a lack of awareness, and a resistance to change.
“Most people agree that water, and the environment are important… they just want it to be easy to do their bit. We must find ever more imaginative ways to engage customers and water users”.
— Simon Cocks, Independent Chair, Water Resources South East – 2020.
The Solution
The imperative of water sustainability is unquestionable. While engineering technology is crucial, it's not the sole solution. We must also undergo a transformation in our water usage. It's time to reassess our relationship with water and aim for greater efficiency. At Showerkap, we meet this challenge by uniquely combining three separate pillars – Nexus, Marshal and Ripple – to address the water and energy sustainability challenge through a holistic approach that integrates engineering, choice architecture, and behavioural science.
By combining these three pillars, Showerkap revolutionises the way we interact with water and energy. It goes beyond traditional engineering solutions by addressing the behavioural aspects of water usage, ultimately promoting a more sustainable and conscious approach to resource management.
Information
- Website: https://www.showerkap.co.uk/#the-mission
- Location: United Kingdom
Taxonomy
- Domestic Water Use