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Environment and greener living

Water: using less at home

Water is a precious resource which needs to be shared by people and wildlife alike. Water shortages can affect all wildlife and the environment. You can help by saving water in your home and garden.

The wider issue

There is less water available per person in the UK than in Spain or Portugal. The more water is used in homes, the less is available in rivers, lakes and wetlands, threatening wildlife. When water levels in rivers fall, birds can lose their food sources, and oxygen levels can become dangerously low for fish.

Treating domestic water before and after use, and heating it, also uses a lot of energy and this contributes to climate change.

Flush less water down the toilet

Most water companies provide 'hippos' free for their customers 

Toilet flushing accounts for about a third of household water usage. You probably flush away as much water in a day as you drink in a whole month. There are easy ways to reduce this:

  • install a water displacement device (or 'hippo') in the cistern of a higher flush toilet – these reduce the amount of water used for each flush, typically by one or two litres
  • when buying a new toilet, choose a water-saving, low-flush or dual-flush version
  • fit a variable flushing device to existing higher flush toilets - this will give you a choice of flush volumes to help save water
  • throw cotton wool, sanitary products and other waste in the bin, not the toilet

Save water when showering or bathing

A quick shower can use much less water than a bath. However, high volume power showers can use more water than a bath in less than five minutes. 

To save water, you could use a shower timer to reduce your time in the shower. You could also fit a water efficient shower head to your shower. This can reduce the amount of water you use by 30 per cent without compromising shower performance. However, these shouldn’t be fitted to electric showers, as this can lead to overheating of the water.

Use water-efficient appliances

half-loads cycles use much more than half the energy and water of a full load

The amount of water consumed by dishwashers and washing machines varies greatly.

All new dishwashers and washing machines have a European (EU) energy label, which tells you how efficient the appliance is at using water and energy. A is most efficient and G is least efficient, so choosing carefully can save you money, water and energy. You could also:

  • look for a washing machine that uses less than 50 litres per wash
  • look for a dishwasher that uses less than 15 litres per wash
  • try to use appliances only when they’re full - half-load cycles use much more than half the energy and water of a full load

Upgrade your plumbing

A dripping tap losing just two drips a second wastes up to 26 litres of water a day. Simple plumbing jobs can save a lot of water without being expensive:

  • fix dripping taps or overflows; a new washer costs just a few pence and can be fitted in minutes
  • fit aerator or spray ends to washbasin taps - an aerator mixes air with water and can reduce water consumption by up to 50 per cent
  • put lagging on your outside pipes to help avoid burst pipes and leaks in winter

Save water in the garden

A garden hose can use more water in an hour than a family of four uses in a day. Some simple ways of saving water in the garden include:

  • using a watering can rather than a hose – this will make a huge difference to the amount of water you use in your garden 
  • buying a water butt to collect rain water - you’ll save mains water and the energy used to treat it

Avoid pouring water straight down the drain

You can easily cut down on water wastage by:

  • saving the cold water that comes through before a tap runs hot, and using it to water plants
  • keeping a jug of water in the fridge instead of waiting for the tap to run cold
  • turning off the taps when you’re brushing your teeth or shaving; this can save five litres a minute

Make use of greywater and rainwater

Any water that has been used in the home, except water from toilets, is called greywater. Shower, bath and washbasin water can be re-used in the garden. Guidelines for doing this include:

  • only watering non-edible plants with greywater
  • making sure it is cool before you use it
  • avoiding pouring it straight on to foliage

You can also collect rainwater. The simplest method of doing this is using a water butt.

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