woman filling glass with water

Our lives and the world around us depend on water but its future depends on us making every drop count. Our Water Water Everywhere report recently revealed that average daily water use per person in England and Wales is currently 143 litres.

Despite average water use rising for the fourth year in a row, a number of factors, including last year’s summer heatwave may have had an impact on these latest figures. So while it may be too early to say if this is a continuing upward trend, most of us would acknowledge that we all need to do our bit to be more water efficient. After all, the less water we use, the less water needs to be extracted, treated and transported leaving more for the environment and the future, as well as reducing the amount of energy used in these processes.

Population growth and climate change are making it harder to meet the needs of our nation but the way we all use water can help make a difference. Our water-saving expert Ana-Maria Millan shares some of her top tips to help you reduce your use and save money too.

Small changes we can all make

There are few things more relaxing than a soak in the bath but every time we jump in the tub we use up to three times more water than a short shower. Swapping one bath a week for a shower could save a family of four a combined £45 a year on energy and water.

Of course a shower can take some time to warm up but try collecting the first burst of cold water in a bucket. You can then use it to give your garden or houseplants a drink instead or your car a wash.

The same applies in the kitchen – rather than running the tap to clean the dishes, fill a washing up bowl instead.

All of us love a freebie and you don’t need to spend a penny to grab some water-saving gadgets from your water company. Most companies offer lots of free devices ranging from shower timers to little gizmos to help save water when you flush the loo. Contact your water company for more details.

Finally, having a water meter installed is a good way to monitor your usage and might give you an extra incentive to save, given that you will only pay for what you use. Generally, if you have more bedrooms than people in your home, it’s likely you’ll make a saving on your water bill. Reducing how much hot water you use can also bring savings to your energy bill. Our water meter calculator can give you a good indication of how much you are likely to save by switching.

Download Water Water Everywhere report (pdf – 248 KB)