Saving water

Showering

Showering makes up 40% of the average household’s daily water usage. While having a longer hot shower is a treat for many of us, it can use a lot of water and energy. A family of four could save around £150 a year if each person spends one minute less in the shower.

You could also try:

• reducing the power of your shower by turning down the flow rate and turning it off to lather up or shave
• hopping straight in instead of waiting for your shower to warm up – research has shown having both warm and cold showers can have health benefits
• collect the water while you wait for it to run hot – this can then be used for watering plants or flushing the toilet.

Bathing

On average, a bath uses 80 litres of water. By lowering the level of your normal bath by a couple of centimetres, you could save around five litres.

If you have young children, you’ll use less water and energy if they share bath water, rather than each of them taking a short shower.

Your bath water can then be reused in the garden or on houseplants afterwards.

Toilets

Around 30% of the water used in the home is for flushing the toilet. Only flush when you need to – each saved flush could save around five litres of water.

A leaky loo could be costing you £50 a month, and with around 10% of homes having a leaking toilet, you should regularly check yours for leaks. Learn how to spot a leaking toilet.

A leaky loo could also be wasting 400 litres of water per day, which is about the same as having two extra people living in your home.

Taps

A leaking tap could cost you £20 to £140 a year. If you spot a leak, please get it fixed as soon as possible.

If you are not comfortable fixing it yourself, you should contact a qualified plumber.

You should also turn your tap off when brushing your teeth, washing or shaving. A running tap can use up to nine litres of water a minute.

Dishwashing

A water-efficient dishwasher uses less water than cleaning your dirty dishes by hand. Some newer models use less than 12 litres per cycle.

If you only have a washing-up bowl, fill it up rather than washing dishes under a running tap and reuse the water on your plants.

Washing clothes

While a standard washing machine uses around 50 litres per wash, you can save water and energy by using your machine’s eco setting.

We also recommend waiting for a full load before putting a wash on to reduce the number of washes you do.

By cutting out two loads a week, you could save £50 a year on water and energy bills.

Food preparation

Instead of filling your kettle to the top or using a full saucepan of water, only use the amount you need.

You could also wash your vegetables in a bowl and then reuse the water on your plants. Additionally, after boiling or steaming vegetables, try reusing the water in a stock, gravy or soup.

Create a water-efficient garden

There are a number of plants and herbs that you could add to your garden which require very little watering, such as lavender, geranium, verbena, rosemary, sage and lemon thyme.

A drought-tolerant garden will require far less water during the summer months. Ask your garden centre for more drought-tolerant plant varieties.

Take care of your soil

Add organic matter, such as compost or manure, to your soil to increase its nutrients and water-holding capacity.

Applying mulch (bark, chip, stone and straw) on top of newly planted seeds will also help your soil to retain moisture and fight off weeds.

Plant at the right time

We recommend planting during autumn when the soil is still warm from summer and the rain has started to increase moisture levels.

A wet winter will also mean you won’t have to water them as much.

Collect rainwater using a water butt

Catch rainfall from the roof of your home, shed or greenhouse using a water butt or large container, and then use the nutrient-rich water it collects in your garden.

A water butt could save you 1,000 litres of water every year. They also minimise the amount of rainwater entering our sewers, which can help prevent sewer flooding.

Water once a week

Watering plants thoroughly once a week rather than giving them a light watering every day allows water to soak into the soil and reach the roots, preventing shallow roots from forming.

Deeper-rooted plants are likely to be more resilient to environmental stresses and withstand periods of drought.

Use a watering can

Use a watering can instead of a hosepipe or sprinklers.

Hosepipes and sprinklers can use between 500 and 1000 litres of water an hour, with watering cans using a fraction of the water.

Leave your lawn alone

During summer, let your lawn go brown. As soon as the rain returns it will go back to normal.

Try letting it grow a little longer than usual too - this will help it retain moisture, while also supporting pollinators by allowing wildflowers to grow.

Water the roots

Water your plants at the root and not the leaves to ensure they get all the water they need.

You could even create a DIY funnel using an old plastic bottle to make sure the water reaches their roots.

Think before you water

Check the weather forecast before watering your plants as there is no need to water them if it’s likely to rain.

You can also prevent as much water from being lost through evaporation by watering your plants in the early morning or evening.

Clean your car with a sponge

Washing a car with a hosepipe can use between 100 and 300 litres of water if the hose is left running.

Use a bucket and sponge instead to save water. You could even invest in a microfibre car wash mitt which retains water better than a sponge.

Also, remember to check the weather forecast before washing the car. If we're due to have a rainstorm, then it will save you the hassle.

Fun in the garden

Kids love playing with water in the garden during summer. There are many ways they can do this without using as much water:

• cover paddling pools when they’re not in use to reduce evaporation and keep them clean
• reuse paddling pool water on your garden plants
• fill your paddling pool with less water than usual
• use water guns instead of hosepipes for water fights.