User Testing and Awareness Baselining for the Mandatory Water Efficiency Label

he project is being commissioned to provide a baseline measurement of consumer awareness of water efficiency and to explore how well consumers understand, interpret and would use the proposed water efficiency label. Throughout the project, we will use the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) as a structure to assess consumer's level of awareness and engagement with the water efficiency label and purchasing behaviours. By understanding where consumers are across the stages in the TTM, from precontemplation to maintenance, we can tailor strategies to facilitate consumers' progression through the stages to change their behaviours.

The project will begin with an inception meeting to finalise objectives, approach, and outputs. Stage 1 will involve a quantitative survey using Ipsos's UK KnowledgePanel to target 2,000 respondents in England, assessing consumer awareness and consideration of water efficiency in purchasing decisions. Due to the crucial importance of understanding the degree to which different factors influence consumer choice, we propose using a MaxDiff exercise to tease out their relative importance. Stage 2 will include qualitative research with three online focus groups and 10 depth interviews. Focus groups will explore attitudes towards water efficiency and the label design, while interviews will involve a mock website showcasing products with the water efficiency label. Both stages will feed into a final report and presentation, including findings, the baseline measurement of consumer awareness and clear recommendations for Defra to take forward around the roll out of the MWEL