Are you worried about impending water shortages? Do you want to save money on your water bills? Or do you just want to do your bit for the environment by saving water? Whatever your motivation to reduce your water consumption, there are some simple steps that you can take to reduce the amount of water that you and your family use day in, day out, for the rest of your lives. The best bit? We bet you don’t even notice the difference – other than the drop in your bill! Here, we take a look at simple changes you can make in the bathroom, to help you to save ££s and the planet!
Leaking Loos can cost from £50-£200 a year! You are literally flushing your money down the pan. If you hear a constant trickle in your cistern, it means that water is running out of the loo so the cistern constantly needs topping up. A plumber will be able to fix the problem in minutes.
You may or may not know this but….. if your loo has two push flush buttons, using the small button produces half a flush. Half a flush equals half the water – so only use the big button if you have to!
Standard flush loos can use up a lot of water, but there are ways of reducing the amount of water you use per flush. Just by placing a brick (or two) in the cistern, you could save up to 8 litres of water per person per day. For a standard family of four, that is a whopping 11,680 litres of water a year.
Do you get that sinking feeling when you get your water bill? Well, turning off the tap while you brush your teeth could help put that shiny white smile on your face. When you keep the tap on, you are pouring away up to 16 litres of water per minute. Based on our family of four, brushing their teeth twice a day for 2 minutes, that is 46,720 litres a year that you could save!
We don’t want to begrudge you your relaxing bath or refreshing shower, but try to be water aware. Depending on the type, showers use about 8 litres of water per minute. Electric showers are the most economical, while those glorious power showers use a lot more. If you need to run the shower before it heats up, rather than wasting the cold water, save it to use in the garden. If you want to slash your water bill, try cutting average shower time by a minute or two. If every member of our water-aware family reduced their daily shower time by just one minute, they would save 11,680 litres of water a year between them.
Want to know more? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter and keep an eye out for next week’s blog, when we introduce you to water saving tips in the kitchen and beyond.
If you have a leak, or your water bills are higher than you think they should be, get in touch with a local plumber who possesses the skills and equipment to identify, and fix, any costly leaks.