Save £100s On Water Bills With These Hacks As Hosepipe Bans Begin
- Hosepipe bans are coming into force across the UK
- Consumers are also being affected by rising water bills
- Members of money-saving community Latest Deals reveal their tricks to save water
- Tips include redirecting the water butt to the toilet and using cistern displacement devices
- Consumer Expert Tom Church shares hacks such as how to pick up free water-saving products
As the latest heatwave sweeps across the UK, water companies are increasingly considering hosepipe bans due to drought conditions. With rising energy prices also affecting consumers, Brits are being forced to rethink their water usage each day.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, the average household uses around 140 litres of water per person, each day. That adds up to 560 litres per family of four - and considering a cubic metre - or 1,000 litres - of water can cost £3.08, bills can quickly add up.
So how can we reduce our water usage? Tom Church, Co-Founder of money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk, said: ‘We’re living in difficult times right now, and it’s more important than ever to keep track of our spending. Water is such a key part of our lives, so it’s vital that we rethink how we use it each day so that we can get through these heatwaves - and avoid massive water bills. Here are some top tips from members of the Latest Deals community - and some hacks of my own.’
Use Your Taps Smartly And Save Over £100 A Year
We’re lucky to have access to running water, but we can be stuck with unwelcome bills if we’re not careful about how we use our taps. Shaun F advised: ‘Slow the flow of the cold tap so it runs at half its speed. You don't need fast-flowing taps to wash your hands.’
Everyday actions can also increase bills rapidly - for example, Darren W and Paul H suggested: ‘Turn off the tap when you clean your teeth.’ Tom added: ‘According to Waterwise, a running tap wastes 6 litres of water per minute on average. If 4 people in a household clean their teeth for 2 minutes twice a day and leave the tap running, you’re wasting 672 litres of water a week - which is a whopping 34,944 litres a year. You could be paying over £100 more in water bills per year without realising it!’
Darren W had another tip: ‘Use a watering can in the garden instead of a sprinkler or a hosepipe.’ Tom agreed: ‘Waterwise says that hoses and sprinklers can use around 1000 litres of water an hour - which is the equivalent of 12 baths.’
Sally F revealed her solution: ‘[My son and I] saved [our bath] water and because we’re in a hosepipe ban area we got the watering cans and used it to feed the plants. When I’ve [washed my hands] I use the sink with a bowl and use that water for feeding the plants.’ Tom said: ‘According to RHS, using water in this way - where it’s called ‘grey water’ is fine in the short term in order to give plants what they need in summer droughts. The only exception applies to edible crops as there is a risk of contamination from pathogens in the water.’
Get A Water Butt And Recycle Water For The Garden, Toilet & Pond
You may not think about your water after it’s gone down the drain, but saving it whenever possible and putting it to use elsewhere can result in huge savings. Christine T said: ‘I have 3 water butts; downstairs toilets flushes from one of them.’ Tom added: ‘If you don’t already have a water butt, investing in one is a wise decision. Whenever it rains, you’re basically getting free water! Plus, if you do what Christine has done and set up your water butt so it leads to the toilet cistern, you will be using this free water to flush your toilet.’
Marion J employs a similar method for a different purpose: ‘We have 3 water butts for rainwater then we connect a hose to the overflow and direct it into the fishpond.’ Meanwhile, Darren W is also an advocate of water butts: ‘Think about fitting one to collect rainwater off your roof. Water butts usually store about 200 litres of water. As well as being better for watering your plants, using rainwater in the garden reduces the amount of treated water you use.’
Mandy M puts her pipes to use with this energy-saving trick: ‘We take the outside pipe off the drainage to the sink and we have a plastic pipe that we attatch to it. The dirty washing up water goes into a big barrel and we use it for the garden.’
Tricia L had another solution for watering the garden: ‘When waiting for water to warm up I fill a watering can with the cold water so as not to waste it. Then I fill the water butt or use it to water the plants.’
Darren W has another way to recycle water for the plants: ‘Use a bowl in the sink when washing fruit, vegetables or dishes. You can then use the wastewater to water your plants.’
Tom added: ‘If you’re struggling to water the plants, have you considered hydrogels? You can sprinkle them in the garden and in hanging baskets during drought season. They help to release water slowly over time, so you don’t need to water the garden as often.’
Make Your Plumbing More Efficient - Save Over £100 A Year
There are a number of fixes you can implement around the home to make your plumbing work more smartly. Dominic P said: ‘I've just had a Combisave installed. It's a thermostatic restrictor and limits the flow of a water in a combination boiler. It saves about 8 litres on every cold start.’ Tom added: ‘A Combisave reduces the water flow until a set temperature has been reached. The valve will open fully at this point only. Homes with a Combisave installed will save 8 litres of water whenever the tap is turned on from cold, according to Teddington Systems.
‘What’s more, it’s useful for homes with combo-boilers and which are on water meters. Those who have their boiler on the top or bottom floor of a three storey house will also benefit, as they will have a longer wait for hot water. It takes 20 minutes to install, and statistics reveal that you can save up to 28,000 litres a year. That’s an £86 reduction on your annual water bill!’
Jackie G makes use of another clever plumbing trick: ‘We have a basin at the back of the toilet so the water we use to wash hands fills the cistern after flush.’ Steve O replied: ‘I really like this idea!’ Amy S asked Jackie: ‘So it’s recycled water? You wash your hands and it goes into the toilet then back into the tap? Just curious.’ Jackie replied: ‘No hun, the water you washed your hands with fills the cistern back up.’
Tom said: ‘Did you know your water supplier may be able to give you water saving products for free? For example, South East Water is offering its customers free plant water saving gel, cistern bags, shower regulators and tap aerators. You can find your local water supplier by entering your postcode on the Water.org website, then navigating to the relevant site and seeing what they can offer you. These measures all add up to help you make savings on your water bill - for example, fitting a tap aerator can save you £25 a year, according to the Energy Saving Trust.’
Get A Smart Meter And Make Huge Savings With Accurate Bills
Christine T said: ‘I have a water meter (£14 a month) and solar panels. I only pay £95 a month for gas/electric.’ Tom added: ‘Water meters measure how much water you use in cubic meters, similar to gas and electricity meters. Your supplier will then charge you water bills based on the readings from your water meter. This means that you only ever pay for the water you use.
‘If you don’t have a water meter installed, you will be charged a set amount each year, no matter how much or little water you use. This fixed amount is based on the Rateable Value (RV) of your home. The RV is how much your property can be let out for based on size, type, location etc. RVs were determined in 1990 and cannot be reassessed. If you live in a large home, your fixed annual bills could be higher than your actual water usage.
‘If you have more bedrooms in your property than you do occupants, then water meters can save you money. This is because the RV of your home will have been based on the property size and number of bedrooms. This means that you could have a five-bedroom house with only two people living there and your water bill will be based on a full house.
‘If you have a water meter installed, you’ll only pay for the water you use, which will be a lot less than the fixed bill if you have fewer occupants.
‘Having a water meter installed also gives you the freedom to lower your water bill by using less water. Unmetered properties can use as much or as little water as they like - they will still pay the same. However, metered properties can pay less if they use less.
‘If you want to make the switch, use a water meter calculator to work out if you’ll be saving money. Then you’ll need to get in touch with your water supplier to ask if they can sort this out for you. If they refuse or cannot do the job, you will be entitled to an Assessed Charge, which is based on the average bills paid by those who do have meters.’
Ration Your Appliances - Switch To Showers And Halve Your Water Usage
You may have a weekly routine where you run the washing machine and wash the dishes in the sink daily, but these options are most likely resulting in a higher water bill. Darren W advised: ‘Wait until you have a full load before using your washing machine or your dishwasher. New washing machines can use less water for each kilogram of clothes, while modern dishwashers can use [less] water per cycle. Also, if possible, take a shower instead of a bath. A five-minute shower uses about 40 litres of water. This is about half the volume of a standard bath.’ Fiona C added: ‘I've bought a dishwasher to save on water and detergent.’
Tom added: ‘Darren is right about the water usage with a shower - South Staffs Water states that a normal five minute shower will use around 45 litres of water, saving up to 35 litres compared with a full bath.
‘According to CSE, around 70% of our domestic water use originates in the bathroom, and Waterwise states that kitchens make use of around 22% of a household’s water. That’s over 90% of the water bill spent in these two places, so it’s really important to be mindful of how you’re using appliances. Waterwise states that a dishwasher on eco setting can be more efficient than hand-washing dishes if you completely fill the machine. They also recommend checking the water use specifications when you’re buying a new washing machine - the most energy efficient models will use under 7.5 litres per kg.’
Use Cistern Displacement Devices - Save 5000 Litres A Year
Sonia B advised: ‘Put a brick in the toilet cistern - it will fill up with less water.’ Kerith M agreed: ‘A brick in the toilet system - less water each flush.’ Darren W recommended an alternative measure: ‘Use a water-saving device in your toilet cistern. Depending on the size of your cistern, you could save between one and three litres each time you flush the toilet.’
Tom added: ‘Plenty of people may know about the old trick of putting a brick in the toilet cistern. It may save a small amount of water as it lessens the tank capacity, but I wouldn’t recommend it. This is because bricks tend to crumble, and you risk damaging the toilet’s mechanism. Instead, consider a cistern displacement device.
‘As the Energy Saving Trust indicates, the second biggest use of water in the home after showering is via toilet flushing. If you make use of such a device, it will inflate whenever you flush and save up to two litres per flush. You can get them for free from many water companies, so you’ve got nothing to lose. Plus, Waterwise states that installing a cistern displacement device - or CDD - can result in savings of up to 5000 litres of water per year.’
Check For Water Leaks - Fix Dripping Tap To Save 5,500 Litres A Year
Darren W said: ‘Check your property regularly for leaks on your internal plumbing.’ Tom agreed: ‘Water leaks are incredibly common, and you may not even know it’s happening. Waterwise states that if you have a dripping tap, it could be wasting around 5,500 litres of water per year. The fix could be as simple as the washer needing replacing, so it’s important to be vigilant around your home.
‘What’s more, water suppliers are struggling with the increase in leaks due to the drought season causing changes such as land drying out. For example, the South East Water service states on its website: ‘During this recent period of hot weather, we’ve seen a 50 percent increase in leaks and bursts across our supply area caused by ground movement due to the lack of rainfall and drying of the soil.’
‘There are a number of indicators that you have a leak somewhere. For example, noises coming from your plumbing system, damp patches on ceilings, floors or walls, wet patches in the garden during dry weather and low water pressure can all be a sign that there’s a problem such as cracked or corroded joints or pipework, a leaking bath, tap or shower or a blockage putting pressure on your pipes.’
Save More With These Discount Codes
Read More Money Saving Guides