The Guardian FlowSave from Accuflow is a small thermostatic valve designed to limit the flow of water from taps and showers until the correct outlet temperature has been reached.

Already being installed by housing associations, councils and new build contracts, including Affinity Sutton and A2Dominion, FlowSave is delivering huge savings for fuel poor housing association tenants – with an estimated annual saving of up to £150 in gas and water charges per household.

Typically people run the tap or shower until the water gets warm, so they don’t have to shave, shower or do the dishes in cold water. All the cold and lukewarm water goes down the drain at full flow, wasting gas, water, time and money. On average a household will needlessly waste up to 50,000 litres of water and 1,500kWh of gas a year.

In addition to saving tenants money on bills, a FlowSave is an attractive proposition for housing associations, as it helps them support green technology strategies. A typical household will save up to 315kg of CO2, £70 in gas charges, 50,000 litres of water and 20 hours waiting for hot water per annum – savings which tenants can enjoy.

Justin Mc Inerney, Chief Executive of Accuflow says, “For the social housing sector a FlowSave valve offers immediate and cost-effective support for low-income residents, who are rarely eligible for energy efficiency grants. With absolutely nothing difficult to understand or operate, it’s as simple as fit and forget, it’s an attractive solution to fuel poverty for housing associations and their tenants.”

About FlowSave

Independent research has shown that, on average, when you turn on a hot tap or shower, the first 10 litres of each boiler activation is wasted while waiting for the boiler to heat up. With a FlowSave valve installed once a hot water outlet is activated the valve restricts the flow of water to just three litres per minute until the water has heated up. Once the target temperature of 42oC has been reached the FlowSave valve opens completely and allows the water to return to full flow, around 10 - 12 litres per minute.

The FlowSave thermostatic valve is installed on the hot water supply as close as possible to the combi-boiler, or instantaneous water heater. It boasts easy installation – taking just a few minutes by a qualified installer, and during installation the heating system doesn’t even need to be shut down.

Once installed no further action is required. FlowSave automatically limits the flow of water until the correct outlet temperature has been reached, minimising water and energy wastage. This is done using Flow-Stabilisation technology and thermostatics which compensate for natural variances on water pressure and temperature.

FlowSave comes with a 15 year guarantee, and once installed doesn’t require maintenance. It is available at www.guardian-solutions.net.