Saving Water

Using water wisely can save your wallet and the world!

Most people want to reduce the impact of climate change and save money. We take water for granted because it has always been there. But our water supply is becoming more unpredictable. Climate change and population growth have increased the pressure on our water resources. In short, water demand in the UK may soon exceed supply so everyone must control their use.

Stop flushing water – and money – down the drain!

Ask Bill

Bill is here to fix some common water mistakes!

If you want to waste less and keep your bills as low as possible then just make small changes to your habits and tap into Bill’s Knowledge below

Tap Tips!

1.

Mistake 1 Not fixing the drips. A dripping tap will give you a hefty bill. After one year you will have needlessly lost 6,000 precious litres of water. Fix the drips today!

2.

Mistake 2 Leaving the tap on. Do you leave the water running while you brush? Simple but effective, turning the tap off while cleaning your teeth or shaving saves a whopping 6 litres a minute.

3.

Mistake 3 Blasting the hot water. Long hot showers aren’t great. Do it several times a week and you’ve used extra water, stripped your skin of moisture, and spent more in energy, increasing your bill. Why not wash better? Swap a bath or long shower with a five-minute shower and you can save £25. If everyone stuck to 5 minutes, we’d save enough water to supply one million homes a day.

4.

Mistake 4 Not going eco. Use an aerated showerhead. Many water companies offer water efficiency products for free. An aerated tap and showerhead is a cheap way to reduce the flow without compromising on pressure. They mix air with the water to use less water but feel the same.

Waterwise
Shower
Challenge
For a fun way to
save, keep your shower to the length of one song in their Spotify playlist

Toilet Tricks

Flushing your toilet accounts for about a third of your household water usage. On average, you’re flushing a whole month’s drinking water in one day.

Toilet with Hippo
5.

Mistake 5 don’t have a cow. Have a ‘Hippo’. Install a Hippo, ‘Save-a-flush’, or, if you want to be technical, a ‘water displacement device’ into your toilet if you don’t already have dual flush. All you have to do is pop the bag into the cistern and it will do the rest. This works by reducing the volume of water available for each flush.

Toilet with Hippo

And good news – most water companies are offering them for FREE.

Find out more

Flushing your toilet accounts for about a third of your household water usage. On average, you’re flushing a whole month’s drinking water in one day.

6.

Mistake 6 Polluting. Bin the blockages. Unflushable wipes make up around 93 per cent of sewer blockages in Britain. You should never tip fat, oil and grease or flush wipes down the loo – it can flood your home and cause devastating impacts on sewers and wildlife. Dispose responsibly.

In the Kitchen

7.

Mistake 7 Kettle-tastrophe. Boil the basics – it adds up. Overfilling the kettle is the top way to waste energy. When making your cuppa, only boil as much as you need and you’ll save water, energy and money.

Did you
know
69 million
litres of water
are wasted each
day by people
overfilling the
kettle?
8.

Mistake 8 Running the tap. Use a bowl. Filling a bowl of water instead of leaving the tap running will save you flushing money down the sink.

9.

Mistake 9 Running half empty. Load up your machine fully to get your money's worth. Wait and fully load your washing machine or dishwasher to maximise the amount you get cleaned per cycle. The fuller the load, the more energy-efficient the cycle.

10.

Mistake 10 Cooking the wrong way. Start to steam – steaming vegetables is healthier, uses less water than boiling and you don’t need anything fancier than a pan and a colander or strainer.

Add about an inch of water to the pan, place your colander on top, fill with vegetables and cook.

And if you’re short on time, you can always steam your veggies in the microwave.

TOP TIP
Using the lid on your saucepans reduces the amount of water lost through evaporation

In the Garden

Save over
1,000 litres of
water an hour
by using a watering
can rather than a
sprinkler or hose

11.

Mistake 11 Overdoing hosepipes and sprinklers. Collect water – harness the power of rainwater by installing a water butt to catch and store large amounts of free water. It’ll save on watering your plants through a hose.

12.

Mistake 12 Watering in full sun. Timing is everything – the best time to water your plants is in the early morning or late afternoon, to make sure the water has plenty of time to be absorbed. It might be also worth having a quick check of the weather before you do water. Many plants can last days without watering so if it’s due to rain, you could hold off watering.

Discover more

Save over
1,000 litres of
water an hour
by using a watering
can rather than a
sprinkler or hose

Free Water Efficiency Devices

You can order free water-saving devices that are easy to fit from your water company. This is part of their drive to promote sustainability.

Many of the main water companies offer these devices through the savewatersavemoney website. Simply click the link below and enter your postcode to see what free devices you can get.

Eligible for a free device?

If your water company is not covered, speak to your water company or visit their website to see what they can offer to help you use your water wisely.

Free Water Efficiency Devices
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