8 ways to use less water around the house as prices are set to rise
As water prices rise, you may be wondering how you can do more around the house with less of it. By Imy Brighty-Potts.
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Your support makes all the difference.With the cost-of-living crisis impacting us more, many households in England and Wales will be concerned to see the largest increase to their water bills in almost 20 years from April, when they rise to an average £448 a year.
According to Water UK, the 7.5% increase would see customers pay around £1.23 per day on average – an increase of 8p per day, or an average £31 more on last year’s charges.
So, what can we do around the house to reduce our water use and the looming bill at the end of the month?
1. Fit an aerator
“Great to have fitted to your taps and easily bought. It adds air to the tap so it looks like more water, but is less – and you will use less of it. It makes water go further and reduces your use,” says the head of water efficiency engagement at Waterwise (waterwise.org.uk), Stephanie Hurry.
They are cheap and easy to get hold of (around £8 from B&Q, for example) – what’s not to love?
2. Run your washing machine less and pick timing wisely
“Only running your washing machine once a week at 30 degrees can save you up to £28 a year,” says Ava Kelly, energy-saving expert at Love Energy Savings (loveenergysavings.com).
“Delay washing machine cycles until off-peak times,” she explains, as this will save money too.
“Most washing machines and dishwashers have a scheduling system that allows you to delay the start time. By scheduling washes for off-peak hours, you could save 17p for every load of washing, as off-peak rates can be half the cost of peak rates. If you did this for every load, you could save up to £48.60 per year.
“Secondly, wash your clothes on your machine’s ‘eco’ setting. This can reduce water usage by between 20-40%, which will make you further savings of between £18.90 and £37.80 a year.”
3. Shower for less time
We all like to be clean, but a shorter shower will get you scrubbed and save water.
“Cutting down your washing time and keeping showers to just four minutes will reduce your water usage and be better financially and environmentally,” says Hurry.
4. Use the correct flush when you go to the toilet
Most toilets, Hurry says, are ‘dual flush’. “So, you should use the small or large, depending on needs, don’t press both. You could waste around five litres per flush by using the wrong one.”
5. Check for leaks
Leaks are money down the drain.
“Your toilet could actually have a small trickle leak and you may not know. Check by getting a piece of toilet roll, pop it at the back of the pan and see if it is wet the next morning. Getting a plumber to fix this could save hundreds,” says Hurry.
6. Don’t leave the tap running and use a dishwasher
Your washing-up habits may be costing big. If you have a dishwasher, use it.
“Dishwashers often use less water than washing by hand. You may leave the tap running when doing your washing up, so don’t, as this is a waste,” says Hurry. And the same goes for turning off the tap while you’re brushing your teeth.
7. Only fill up what you need in the kettle
Hurry suggests you can save water by only boiling the kettle with as much water as you need and “if you are boiling veggies or pasta, save the water to water plants, or make soups with”.
If you do boil too much water, pop it in a flask, to save adding more water and using more energy later.
8. Be aware of baths
You may love a hot bath, but you can save money and still enjoy them.
“Have a bath an inch or two lower than you normally would and save a bucket of water at the end to water plants or flush toilets,” Hurry says.
Little changes really can make a big difference.