How to save water in your home
Discover the little changes you can make to your daily routine that will help you save water and money.
How you can help at home
Try these easy swaps to save water around your home. They’re simple, they save water, and they could help lower your bills too. Small changes make a big difference.
Reduce your time in the shower by 2 minutes
It’s tempting to linger in a hot shower during the colder months, but reducing shower time by two minutes could save up to 6,000 litres of water a year and up to £265 for a family of four on your annual water and energy bills.
Only boil the water you need
There’s nothing better than a hot cuppa to warm you up in the winter months. Only boil the water you need to help reduce water and energy bills.
Check for leaks
Cold weather can cause pipes to crack or leak. Regularly check taps, toilets and outdoor pipes to catch issues early and avoid wasting water. A leaky loo can waste up to 300 litres of water a day, so it’s a good idea to check yours regularly.
Prepare your home for winter
Lagging exposed pipes helps prevent bursts and reduces the risk of water loss during freezing temperatures. You can also leave your heating on low or schedule it to come on just a couple of hours a day to stop your pipes from freezing.
Switch off the tap while brushing
Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth and save over 5,000 litres of water per person each year. That’s a potential saving of up to £30 annually on your water bill for a household of four.
Wash fruit and veg in a bowl
Roast dinners are back. Save water by washing your vegetables in a bowl instead of under a running tap. You’ll save up to 15 litres of water a minute, and you can then use the water for your houseplants.
Why do we need to save water?
The South East is running out of water
We rely on water every day, but our population is growing fast and climate change is bringing greater risk of floods and drought.
All this puts pressure on water supplies and means there's less water to go around.
Thankfully, just a few small changes to your daily routine will make a big difference, especially when at home.
Water saving home visits
If you use more water than average in your home, we offer a free water saving home visit to help you save water and money off your bills.
Helping you choose water-efficient products
We've teamed up with DIY retailers, builders' merchants and manufacturers of bathroom fittings to bring you the Unified Water Label scheme. It’s designed to make it easy for you to find water-efficient taps, showers, toilets and baths.
The Unified Water Label was developed by the Bathroom Manufacturers Association and is run by The Unified Water Label Association. It works a lot like the energy efficiency labels you see on appliances. Each label shows key details such as toilet flush performance, tap and shower flow rates, and bath capacity.
You can also compare the water usage of similar products using the online 'find a product' tool. Look for products in the green band of the label, as they're more water-efficient.
Nearly a quarter of your energy bill goes on heating water. So, choosing water-saving products doesn’t just help the environment — it helps cut your water and energy bills too.
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