Creating safer, sustainable homes with electric care showers

With the cost-of-living soaring and multi-generational living on the rise, ensuring homes are safe and fit for purpose, as well as sustainable will be key to supporting tenants through these difficult times.

Martyn Brown, Contracts & Technical Manager at Triton Showers, discusses why bathrooms and electric care showers ought to be the starting point in this movement.

It goes without saying that times are tough. Inflation is at its highest, gas supplies are at their lowest, and a cold winter is predicted to cause spiralling costs and energy bills over the coming months. Weighing up whether to ‘eat or heat’ is the uncomfortable reality that faces a significant proportion of the nation.

Multi-generational living has been steadily rising, but owing to these recent developments, the trend is starting to accelerate rapidly. Young people are now not only choosing not to move out, but they are also opting to move back in with family too. Homes with grandchildren, parents and grandparents could be a new way of living for many for years to come as they pool resources together.

For housing associations, this trend is not new, and adaptation of housing stock is an everyday occurrence. However, with multiple generations under one roof and differing needs to cater for, the key is getting the right solutions to fit everybody first time. This is vitally important in bathrooms, one of the busiest rooms in the home. and especially pertinent to one particular appliance – showers.

By retrofitting the right solution that is inclusive and fits with peoples’ needs, or indeed, fitting an optimal model from the get-go, showering becomes a lot safer for tenants and also, more sustainable. In households with vulnerable users, i.e., elderly, disabled or young people, the benefits of having safe showering solutions are even more pronounced. With a unit that performs well and is adapted for tenants’ needs, occupants can feel confident that they can start or end their day comfortably and accidents such as slipping are prevented. Meanwhile, issues like not having enough hot water and/or pressure, or being able to operate the controls easily, do not become a daily inconvenience.

n Omnicare – an all-encompassing care shower

For housing providers looking to adapt housing stock with fit-for-purpose showers, or developers building new stock, this is where Triton’s Omnicare range can make all the difference.

BEAB Care Mark approved, all Omnicare models are equipped with innovations such as thermostatic temperature control to prevent scalding and sudden drops in water temperature, regulating to within +/-1°C. Additionally, to help users of all abilities wash easily and safely, all products in the range are RNIB accredited and include audible feedback and tactile controls such as a looped lever handle and soft press start/stop button.

There are a variety of other accessories that can add further assurance against slips, trips and falls too. This includes multi-purpose grab riser rail kits to support people who may be unsteady on their feet, or remote start/stop controls that allow operation from outside a cubicle, which can be handy for carers.

n Service is essential

Another factor for housing associations to take into consideration is service. If there are breakdowns that impact appliances as important as showers, tenants feel the effects immediately, so they must be rectified as quick as possible.

For this reason, alongside choosing the right products, reliability and a manufacturer’s service offer must be considered when looking at bathroom specification. Better cooperation between housing suppliers and manufacturers leads to improved outcomes for occupants, and points to be aware of include certifications and accreditations, third-party testing on products, and servicelevel agreements (SLAs).

Triton’s showers have a failure rate of less than 1%, making them an incredibly reliable when installed correctly. For added peace of mind, Triton operates a nationwide team of service engineers, providing a ‘Fast Track Service’ that guarantees a response and visit within 72 hours. This ensures that a rapid replacement is guaranteed if ever required.

Understandably, speed of installation is another major factor when quick turnarounds are required or mass adaptations undertaken. With multiple cable and water entry points, the Omnicare series can help make retrofit applications quicker and simpler.

n Sustainable showering

Not only do housing providers need to look at showers from a safety perspective, but they also need to look at how showers fit into other important agendas. This includes helping tenants financially and assisting in the fight against climate change. Recent statistics suggest that the latter is more important to the public too, with more than eight in ten people (86%) saying that protecting the environment was important to them (People and Nature Survey for England).

Electric care showers meet both of these requirements, as they help save money by reducing energy and water consumption. Heating water via electricity has long been the most efficient method, and with the Omnicare showers featuring an ‘A’ energy rating, this means tenants can lower their spend. Along with this, it gives peace of mind that they are doing their bit in the global warming challenge.

In Triton’s latest research, for example, it found using an electric shower costs nearly a third less than a mixer shower, and can reduce carbon footprint by 70%. The findings were based a five-minute shower and compare an 8.5 kW electric model to a mixer fed by an A-rated combi boiler outputting 12 l/min, with the analysis also showing users can reduce energy usage by 76% and save just over 40 litres of water.

In earlier research, Triton also uncovered that an electric shower can also help an average family of four conserve up to 48,000 litres of water when compared to alternatives.

n It’s time to go electric

With more people switching to multi-generational living, bathroom safety will be a crucial focus as this movement gathers pace. With cost-concerns continuing to rise also, housing associations will need to do everything in their power to support tenants through this winter and beyond.

Electric showers are a significant element to solving these issues. Having a reliable, safe showering solution like Triton’s Omnicare electric care shower not only protects against accidents, but also takes away any undue stress – serving an important function in saving energy, water, money, and ultimately, our planet.

For more information about Triton and its Omnicare range of energy efficient thermostatic electric care showers, please visit: www.tritonshowers.co.uk/showers-taps/care-showers