Part G marketing opportunity grabbed by manufacturers

The amended version of Approved Document G Sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency was laid before Parliament on 13 May, and is now available to download. It presents smart marketers with yet another way of standing out from the crowd.

As highlighted in last month's RIBA Enterprises monthly briefing, the approved Document G isn't due to come into force until October 2009, however some manufacturers are already highlighting their products' compliance with Part G in view of the safety and environmental issues it addresses.

The revised Part G will feature enhanced hot water safety and efficiency measures for all new homes, with inbuilt protection from hot water scalding in baths using protective devices to limit water temperature. It also introduces a new minimum standard of 125 litres of water per person per day.

Housing Minister Iain Wright says, "Hot water scalding in baths is a real risk, particularly for groups such as children and the elderly." He adds, "Homes account for a quarter of the country's carbon emissions so it's essential that we tackle this as part of our efforts on climate change. Water plays an important role in making homes more sustainable. (These) measures will help make new homes even greener as part of our commitment to zero carbon housing from 2016."

Industry commentators point out that Part G is a PR gift to manufacturers whose products are already compliant, as it gives them a head start over those that are not. theNBS.com advertisers are being advised to flag their compliance wherever possible. Recent ABCe audit figures show that the site attracts over 52,000 unique users. Advertisers within RIBA Product Selector's technical pages are likewise being encouraged to include reference to Part G in all relevant sections as it likely to be uppermost in specifiers' minds.

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