Tim Robertson, CEO of Save Water Save Money, shares his journey from Park Ranger to business leader, his passion for water conservation, and his mission to empower millions to save water, reduce their utility bills and drive sustainability around the world.
Tim’s first encounter with water conservation was as a backcountry ranger in Olympic National Park, Washington State, USA, where he had to draw fresh water from a river half a kilometre from his camp.
‘I had to use water wisely,’ Tim recalls. ‘Otherwise, I’d be making multiple exhausting trips across soft sand, carrying heavy buckets. That’s when I first really understood the importance of conserving water.’ This hands-on experience and his passion for sustainability laid the foundation for Save Water Save Money in 2007. But, as Tim admits, the journey wasn’t without its challenges.
The challenges of starting a business
‘I started the company as a hobby, just for additional income,’ Tim recalls. ‘But within the first year, I realised there was a real gap in the market. The biggest challenge was balancing starting a company with managing a second job to pay the bills.’
While launching Save Water Save Money, Tim worked as a partnerships manager for Age Concern and later as a business manager for Virgin Atlantic Airways. He juggled these roles while launching his company and navigating life changes: a new house and a new baby. ‘The hardest part was managing everything,’ he says. ‘Running a business is challenging at the best of times,’ he says. ‘Doing it alongside a full-time job and a growing family? That was another level.’
Since then, Save Water Save Money has grown from a small start-up to the UK’s largest provider of water efficiency solutions. It has identified a significant opportunity: engaging consumers through technology to help them understand and reduce their water usage.
In 2015, Save Water Save Money launched a software platform that revolutionised how consumers interact with water conservation. ‘That was a turning point,’ Tim reflects. ‘It allowed millions to see exactly how much water they were using, down to each fixture. That insight enabled them to save water, energy, and money on their utility bills.’
Sustainability and leadership
Over the years, Tim has learned to navigate the complexities of leading a business while focusing on sustainability. He describes his leadership style as ‘hands-on’ and driven by the ethos of creating high-quality products that help clients meet their sustainability goals.
Tim ensured that his passion for water-saving extended beyond himself as the company grew, creating a team with the same commitment to the cause. ‘The hardest challenge is balancing a commercial business with sustainability,’ Tim admits. ‘But I’ve built a team of people who are genuinely passionate about what we do, and that’s been key to our success.’
For Tim, the most rewarding aspect of his job is seeing more people understand the importance of water conservation. ‘When I was a ranger, I realised that water efficiency wasn’t something many people thought about daily because they don’t need to draw their own water. In towns and cities worldwide, turn on a tap and there’s water freely flowing,’ he says. ‘At Save Water Save Money, our job is to raise awareness and make it easy for people to reduce their water usage.’
The company’s mission isn’t to preach sustainability but to provide the tools to empower consumers to make their own choices. ‘It’s all about giving people the knowledge,’ Tim explains. ‘We don’t force anyone to change their habits, but we allow them to understand how they can save money by saving cold and hot water and therefore saving energy, too.’
A unique approach to water efficiency
Save Water Save Money’s approach to water efficiency is unique, using digital tools to empower consumers to save water. The company’s GetWaterFit tool helps users understand how and where they use water in their homes and what small actions they can take – including product recommendations via the GetWaterSmart Directory– to save water, based on their personal water usage.
At the same time, the GetWaterSmart Directory aims to create a single location for manufacturers of certified water-efficient products to collaborate on a level playing field and promote water efficiency without competing against products that claim to be water efficient but do not have the appropriate qualifications.
Expanding globally
Tim has ambitious plans for the future. With a presence in the UK, Australia and North America, and plans to launch throughout Africa and India, Save Water Save Money is cementing its role as a global leader in water efficiency..
‘We want to create a global platform for water efficiency,’ Tim says. ‘We’re working with organisations like The Water Conservancy in Australia, the Alliance for Water Efficiency in the US and the Unfied Water Label in the UK and throughout Europe to spread the message of water conservation far and wide.’
The basis for this global expansion is the GetWaterSmart product directory, which features exclusively certified water-efficient products from qualifying manufacturers and distributors. This directory will help consumers worldwide make informed decisions about the water-efficient products available to buy, including flow and flush rates, knowing the products featured will reduce their water and, where relevant, energy consumption.
Tim is straightforward when asked how he stays motivated: ‘We haven’t reached our goal yet. We’re just getting started. There’s still so much more to do.’ His motivation is driven by his deep-rooted belief in the importance of sustainability. ‘I’m not trying to change the world, but I’m doing my bit,’ he says. ‘It’s about inspiring others to take action, even in small ways, and giving them the tools to do so. It was exactly the same when I was a Park Ranger. Even the smallest actions made others more aware of their local environment.
