Households
Water and energy saving at home
It doesn’t matter what time of year it is there are so many simple ways to save water which do not require a major lifestyle change. We’ve listed our top tips for saving water below. In many cases, following these tips will also help you to save money on your energy bills as well.
If you want more information, check out the Waterwise website.
Our top water (and energy) saving tips:
Check for leaks
Bills going up? You may have a leak. Check for damp inside or green patches outside and contact your supplier for what to do next.
Replace worn washers on leaky taps
Fix dripping taps – they can waste enough water in a year to fill a child’s paddling pool every week of the summer.
Use a full dishwasher or washing machine before turning it on
Avoid using the half-load settings on dishwashers and washing machines. They use more than half the energy and water of a full load.
Steam your vegetables
Steaming veg not only saves water, but retains more nutrients in your food. Leftover water can then be used to feed the plants.
Reuse glass and mugs
Use the same glass, mug or cup to drink out of all day to reduce the water you use washing up. But don’t cut down on the amount of water you drink!
Left-over ice cubes
If you have left-over drinking water or ice cubes, don’t pour them down the sink, give your plants a drink instead.
Run your taps less
Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth: a tap left running wastes about six litres of water every minute.
Don’t run the tap until the water’s cool – keep a jug of water in the fridge for instantly cold drinks instead. Try adding fruit or mint for some flavour.
Use fewer pots/pans and utensils
Use fewer pots/pans and utensils when cooking. The less you use, the less water needed to wash up.
Only boil what you need
By boiling only as much water as you need you’ll save water, energy and money.
Have a shower rather than a bath
Filling your bath by an inch less deep than usual will save, on average, five litres of water.
Shorten your shower
Reducing your shower from 10 minutes to 4 minutes will save more than 300 litres of water every week.
Installing a water-saving shower head can cut the amount of water you use by about 30% per shower.
For every minute less you spend under your daily shower you could shave between £5 and £10 off your energy bills over the year.
If you love singing in the shower, why not combine it with our 2 minute shower song challenge? Time yourself in the shower to your favourite songs.
Rinse your razor in the sink
Instead of running the tap whilst shaving, fill the sink up instead to rinse your razor.
Talk to your water company about water efficiency
Water companies will offer advice and even water efficiency devices to help you save water. Find out more.