Innovative eco appliances to help you save bathroom energy

The water and heating we use in a bathroom contributes significantly to our carbon footprint. Taking steps to reduce these can have a major impact on how much we spend while being kinder to the environment. Luckily there are now more energy efficient bathroom appliances on the market than ever before, and below you’ll find five of the best.

Set to heat water instantly and on demand, the Triton electric shower cuts energy and water bills while avoiding unnecessary waste. Electric showers can drastically reduce our carbon footprint, making them a much more eco-friendly option. When compared to taking a bath, too, having an electric shower uses around a quarter of water consumption, energy consumption and carbon footprint. The water temperature shows up on the display, making it easy to set. This one comes in a gloss black or white finish with an anti-twist hose feeding two shower heads (with rub clean nozzles), so it fits in well with modern fixtures.

The Radiator Centre has released a series of energy efficient heaters and towel rails that hold a designer edge to them. The Soho is one of them, with a real minimalist design of six columns. They use roughly 80% less water than traditional tubular style radiators and have been created in a way to only need to heat a small amount of water to produce the heat needed for a bathroom. Because of this it also responds faster, giving heat on demand. The columns are made of recyclable aluminium and can be fitted vertically or horizontally onto bathroom walls (though there’s a free-standing version as well) and the columns come with hooks and rails for towels.

A tap that is quick to fit, with water saving features. All of GROHE’s products with a cold-water mode save energy by avoiding unnecessary heating of water when it’s not needed for basic tasks like brushing teeth. It has a particular energy saving cartridge in it that controls volume and temperature to avoid wasted energy. It flows purely with cold water at a mid-lever position, but the temperature can be bumped up when opened wider. It uses the brand’s own EcoJoy technology to reduce water and energy consumption while still remaining an attractive design.

This little appliance has been designed to treat hard water through an eco-friendly water conditioner. Having limescale covering heating elements (including in taps) can increase energy bills annually by £500 by using up more energy to heat the water in your home. This in turn increases your carbon footprint. While the initial price tag is a little high, it’s been created to be effective for 30 years, so works out more efficiently in the long run. As it’s only small, it doesn’t take up additional space or need further pipes to make it work. It’s usually fit within an hour and doesn’t use up electricity, either.

Using tumble dryers can take up a fair amount of energy, particularly with older models where the heat pumps might not offer an eco setting. Vileda has just released their new Infinity Flex heated dryer, which can really help cut back on energy use when drying your washing. It’s extendable (with elevated wings on each side) for larger items like bedding and towels, covering a total of 30m of drying space. It also has thicker drying lines to reduce creasing and (hopefully) less ironing — and therefore less energy use, too. There’s a sock hanger as well and it folds down compactly for easy storage.