Householders to face extra charges for high

[Still Waters]

Householders should face additional charges for high water use to due to the impact climate change will have on Britain, leaving parts of the country short of fresh water, according to a Government adviser.

Lord Krebs, chairman of the Environment department’s adaptation sub-committee, said that water meters should be used to send “price signals” to tell householders to limit their consumption.

He made the call as the Coalition prepared to warn that water can no longer be seen as an “infinite resource”, forcing changes in families’ daily lives. That could also mean using bathwater to flush toilets, and even greater use of hosepipe bans. Watering the garden could bring increased chargtes, he suggests.

Caroline Spelman, the Environment Secretary, will today bluntly concede that some change in our climate can no longer be avoided.

Instead of solely trying to prevent the change, Britain must do more to adapt to a hotter, more volatile climate, she will say.

Read more...