South East Water  Shower Smart Trial 

South East Water  are undertaking a project in collaboration with the Monash Sustainable Development Institute and the University of Queensland (together, Research Organisations) to investigate options to help the Victorian water sector transition to reducing Greenhouse gas emissions by 42% by 2025 and to net-zero by 2050.

As part of the project, we want to understand how household shower use impacts on hot water consumption and Greenhouse gas emissions; and what effect information on water and energy use can have on householder decisions about the length of showers they have. To do this, we are conducting the Shower Smart Trial (Trial), which is a Trial in 50 households in your area and we need your help. If you are interested in participating in the Trial, please keep reading to understand what is involved and how we will handle the personal information and data collected from you.

Terms and conditions

1. Outline of the Trial 

To help you understand the Trial and decide whether you would like to participate, we have set out an overview of the Trial below:

  • The Trial will take place over approximately 4 weeks during April to June in 2022 (Trial Period). 

During the Trial Period, you will need:

1.  a handheld shower hose connected in your shower at home; and

2.  a smartphone.

  • If you are selected to participate in the Trial, we will send a small Amphiro b1 connect meter (Amphiro Device), which records how much water and energy your shower is using. 
  • You will need to install the Amphiro Device on your handheld shower hose. 
  • You will then need to download the free Amphiro App onto your smartphone, which will allow you to transfer the data from the Amphiro Device to the Amphiro App. 
  • After 2 weeks of using the Amphiro Device, you will be prompted to transfer the data from the Amphiro Device to the Amphiro App. 
  • We will then send you a new showerhead for you to install in place of your current showerhead on your handheld shower hose, keeping the Amphiro Device in place. 
  • After another 2 weeks, you will be prompted to again transfer the data from the Amphiro Device to the Amphiro App. 
  • The Trial is unpaid. However, at the end of the Trial, you will get to keep the Amphiro Device and the new showerhead that we will provide to you, which are valued around $200 in total. Your participation will help Australia move closer towards a net-zero 2050.  
  • After the Trial, you will be able to upload the data recorded by the Amphiro Device for up to 12 months.  We will also collect data recorded by your water meter for research purposes for up to 12 months after the Trial.

2. What is required of you during the Trial?

To participate in the Trial, you must:

a) Follow the instructions provided to you regarding the installation and operation of the Amphiro Device and association App for collecting data.

b) Expect to be home and able to participate in the Trial for the Trial Period.

c) Have and be able to use the following materials during the Trial Period:

         (i)         a handheld shower hose in your shower at your home that you can use for most showering purposes during the trial; and 

         (ii)        a smartphone.

d) Install the Amphiro Device that we will supply to you onto your handheld shower and leave it in place for the Trial Period.

e) Download the free Amphiro App onto your smartphone and use it to download data from the Amphiro Device at least twice during the Trial Period.

f) After 2 weeks, replace your existing showerhead (which the Amphiro Device is connected to) with the new showerhead that we will supply to you and keep both devices in place for at least 2 weeks.

This Trial and related study adheres to the guidelines of the ethical review process of The University of Queensland and the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research. If you would like more information on the project, or wish to withdraw your participation in the project, you can contact showersmart@sew.com.au. To speak to an officer of the University not involved in the study, you may contact the Ethics Coordinators on +617 3365 3924 / +617 3443 1656 or email humanethics@research.uq.edu.au.

3. Collection of data and privacy 

The use, collection and disclosure of your personal information is subject to applicable privacy laws and each of the Research Organisations’ (including SEW) and Amphiro AG’s privacy policies, which can be located at the following websites:

If you participate in the Trial:

a) We will collect data relating to water consumption and energy consumption from you through the Amphiro Device, the Amphiro App and your water meter at your house;

b) SEW will provide your email address to Amphiro AG to confirm your participation;

c) The data we will collect from you is for research purposes, to investigate the relationship between water and energy consumption. The data will be used to analyse customer behaviour of water-related energy usage and how we can influence our customers to reduce their energy-related Greenhouse gas emissions. The data may be used in future phases of related research;

d) You will be able to access any personal information we hold about you, by contacting:

The Privacy officer

South East Water

PO Box 2268

Seaford VIC 3199

Or by sending an email containing your request to: foi@sew.com.au

e) Data collected by the Amphiro Device will be de-identified and disclosed to third parties, including the Research Organisations, for the purposes in paragraph 3c);

f) For up to 12 months after the Trial, we will collect and disclose your data to third parties for the purposes in paragraph 3c);

g) You can withdraw your participation at any time if you do not wish to provide the data requested by us.  

4. Ownership of the data collected

You agree that any intellectual property rights subsisting in, relating to or arising out of the Trial (including any research publications), the Amphiro Device, the Amphiro App or the data collected by us, including but not limited to copyright, logos, trade marks, designs, text, graphics, images, information, applications and other files, and their selection and arrangement are the intellectual rights of SEW, our partners or our licensors, with all rights reserved and that you have no ownership of or interest in such intellectual property rights. 

5. Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability

The Trial, the Amphiro Device, the Amphiro App and the data collected by us is intended for research only.  While every effort is taken to ensure the information is accurate, we do not represent or warrant that this information is correct, current, complete, reliable or suitable for any purpose and it must not be relied on by you or any other person as factual information.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, we disclaim any responsibility to you or any third party for any loss or damage arising out of or in connection with the Amphiro Device, the Amphiro App or the showerhead provided to you by us, whether or not such loss or damage was foreseeable and even if advised of the possibility of such loss.