Water Saving Advice
Water Saving Advice
Use water wisely
Water use accounts for 6% of UK greenhouse gas emissions. 1% of this is from the treatment & transport of water and waste water, and the remaining 5% is from the energy used to heat water in the home*.
So saving water can save energy, which can help save money on your energy bills – it’s good for your pocket and the planet.
From drinking tap water to washing, cooking, cleaning or flushing, we all use water every day. It also needs energy to heat water for showers, baths and washing dishes.
Here’s a few simple steps you can take to help save water & energy in and around your home and help protect a precious resource.
*CIWEM, 2013, A Blueprint For Carbon Emissions Reduction in the UK Water Industry.
Water Saving Challenges
Play hereSaving Water in the Bathroom
Showers and baths use the most amount of water in the home (30%). Knocking 2 minutes off your shower can save over 21,500 litres and at least £50 off your energy bill, each year. (HES November 24).
Cleaning our teeth with the tap running wastes 5 litres of water a minute - an instant saving by simply turning off the tap while brushing.
Found a dripping tap? A dripping tap can waste over 5,500 litres of water a year so make sure taps are turned off properly or replace the washer.
Leaky Loos
A leaking toilet can waste between 215 and 400 litres of water every day. Between 5 and 8% of toilets are leaking, and it is most common with dual flush toilets.
So if your toilet is leaking, get it fixed as quickly as possible.
It can be tricky to tell if your toilet is leaking, but you can use this simple test to find out.
Alternatively, if you have easy access to your cistern put food dye or a dye tablet in the cistern and wait 20 minutes, if the water in the toilet bowl ends up coloured then you have a leak.
Leaky Loo Test
Saving Water in the Kitchen
Save on your energy bills by filling the kettle with only the water you need, you’ll also save time waiting for the kettle to boil!
Remember to wash your dishes in a basin or bowl instead of under a running tap, or if using a dishwasher wait for a full load and use the eco setting to help save not only water but energy too! Did you know? A tap left running while washing dishes or fruit and vegetables for 10 minutes can use around 125 litres of water which disappears straight down the drain.
Fully load your washing machine and dishwasher and use the eco-setting where possible to save water and energy. Washing clothes at 30 degrees rather than 40 degrees reduces your machine’s energy consumption by 57%.
Saving Water Outside
Did you know? A hosepipe can use enough water in 30 minutes to fill five bath tubs. Top Tip: Use a bucket and sponge to wash the car to help save water.
A hose wastes 1,000 litres of water an hour. Save water and nourish your plants’ roots using a watering can instead. Alternatively, you can fit your hosepipe with a trigger nozzle so it only runs when you need it.
Kirsty Wilson, BBC Beechgrove presenter, shares her garden tips
Kirsty Wilson shares her water storing and water saving tips for your garden
Watch here
Use a water butt! Did you know? Rainwater is better for your plants as there is nitrogen in the rain which helps plants thrive. A small Scottish roof collects over 45,000 litres of water each year, that’s more than enough to keep your water butt topped up!
For more expert advice on how to help save water in and around your garden, visit rhs.org.uk
Saving assumes a gas price of 10.3p/kWh, standard electricity price of 34p/kWh and off-peak electricity price of 20p/kWh.
It is assumed 0.75 showers per day per person, and weights shower type and water heating type across households in Scotland.
Valid from October 2022.
