A Norwich-based inventor's plans to market his innovative, energy-saving shower pump have taken a step forward after he secured a licensing and distribution deal for the product.

Alan Wright's Shower Power Booster aims to solve the problem of low water pressure and dribbly taps using a pump which is one 10th the size of conventional pumps.

The pump has already secured support from a Norfolk Knowledge Innovation Project and secured a £20,000 prize in a Climate Kick competition last October.

Mr Wright was also a local finalist in the recent Local Business Accelerators competition

The chartered civil engineer has now secured a licensing and distruction deal with Derbyshire-based firm Flowflex, which will also assemble the pumps.

And he is continuing to fine-tune the product, which will sell for £94.50, by working on a flow switch, teaming up with Dereham-based Anglian Electronics to develop it.

He said the aim was to sell the pumps direct to plumbers and independent plumbers' merchants as well as national stores such as B&Q.

'I am right on the cusp,' he said. 'The next step for the domestic showers is to have it sold through Flowflex. We agreed a licence deal. They have all the distribution networks and we have got the product to the stage where we can sell it to consumers.

'The primary market is consumers with water-pressure problems in homes in the UK who currently use electric showers, traditional power showers, or simply have poor showers. Assuming 1pc of this market is captured each year we would antici-pate selling 250,000 units a year.'

In addition to domestic consumers Mr Wright is also exploring whether the pumps have a wider industrial use in factories and hospitals.

Pumps have also been commissioned for use in an energy-saving project at March Foods, which is believed will save the firm between £8,000 and £10,000 a year.

Mr Wright added: 'Its energy- and water-saving potential could save thousands of pounds in factories and hospitals.'

shaun.lowthorpe@archant.co.uk