Save water, save money, save the environment!

Using a washing up bowl

Washing up bowls are smaller than the sink itself. A smaller container means less water is required to fill it up. In fact, you only need to run a typical tap for 95 seconds to fill up a washing up bowl.

Shorter showers

Spending one minute less in the shower can save £8 per person a year off your energy bills. With a water meter, a further £11.

Remember, running the shower before you step in also wastes a lot of water and energy.

Washing your car

Using a hosepipe to wash your car uses a lot of water. Instead, use a bucket when shampooing and a watering can for rinsing.  If you must use a hosepipe, ensure that it is fitted with a trigger nozzle that will stop the flow of water when its released.

Preparing food

Wash vegetables and fruits in a large bowl or tub of water and scrub them with a vegetable brush instead of using your tap as a power-washer.

Don’t use water to defrost frozen foods. Leave them in the fridge overnight.

Careful with your cuppa

When making a cup of tea or coffee, only fill the kettle with the amount of water you need. Not only is it saving you water but could also cut around £6 a year off your energy bill.

Snub the tub

If everyone in a family of four replaces one bath with a five minute shower, up to £10 a year could be saved on gas bills and on water bills (if you have a water meter).

Turn it off

If you turn the tap off whilst brushing your teeth, that’s saving around 10 litres each time. Twice a day that’s 20 litres saved per person. A Family of four could save nearly 80 litres of water a day.  That’s equivalent to around £28 saved per year if you’re on a meter.

Your toilet isn’t a bin

Many people have probably been guilty of this at some point, but things like tissues, sanitary products and face wipes don’t belong in the toilet. Not only is flushing them harmful to the environment, but you’ll be wasting a lot of water too.

Cold water

Store a jug of cold water in the fridge. It sometimes takes a few seconds for your tap water to turn to your preferred temperature. Over the course of a year, you could be wasting a lot of water by waiting for the water to turn cold.

Full loads

It’s better to wait until you have a full load as it generally uses less water than 2 half loads.

If you’re thinking of buying a new washing machine or dishwasher, look out for energy efficient models to replace them.

Wash at 30 degrees or use the ECO setting if your machine has one. Quick washes in washing machines, generally take more energy as the heating element works harder over a shorter time.

Dripping taps

A dripping tap can waste more than 5,300 litres of water a year, so make sure your taps are properly turned off and change washers promptly when taps start to drip. If somewhere in your home is leaking, report it to us so we can repair it.