Average water use and cost

If you're at home more than normal, for example, because of remote working, you'll naturally be using more water through things like:

• flushing the loo
• taking showers at home rather than the gym or work
• washing more dishes.

Some seasonal activities use a lot of water, such as:

• gardening, e.g. using a hose or sprinkler to water your plants
• filling a paddling pool
• using a hot tub.

Did you know?

• Filling up a paddling pool could use up to 3,000 litres, which is the equivalent of 7,500 cups of tea.
• Avoiding using sprinklers/hosepipes can save you up to £300 a year.
• Using a hose with a trigger gun can save up to £210 per year.
• Dripping taps can waste 5,500 litres a year. Fixing this could save you £7 a year.

More people living in your home will increase the the amount of water used.

• Guests staying over means more hand washes, showers and toilet trips.
• Having a newborn can mean the constant washing of clothes and bibs and sterilising etc.
• Students back from university.

You and your housemates are likely to live independent lifestyles within a household – for example, doing separate clothes washes.

This type of routine increases the amount of water used and will likely lead to higher bills than a family household.

Building work and DIY can use a lot of water – e.g. activities like concreting, washing down areas, cleaning brushes and bleeding radiators.

If you think you may have a leak in your home, follow these steps to help you find a leak and what you should do next.

A dripping tap can waste 15 litres a day or 5,500 litres a year, which is the equivalent of a bathtub of water every week. You can learn how to fix a dripping tap by simply replacing the washer – it could save you £7 a year.

Push-button toilets commonly have undetected leaks. A leaky loo can waste up to 400 litres of water a day – fixing it can save you approximately £500 a year on your bills. So it can pay to know if your loo is leaking.

Your water bill may be higher than your neighbour's for a number of reasons:

• Tariff – you may be on different tariffs.
• Credit – they may have credit on their account and have had their payments lowered to account for this.
• Different size households – they may have fewer people living in or visiting the house, using less water.
• Different routines – everyone has different ways of living and your neighbour’s activities may use less water, e.g. taking a quick shower rather than a bath.
• Water-saving products – they may have invested in water-saving products to lower their usage and bill.