How to save water Did you know that you pay for water three times? 1 You pay to buy it 2 You pay to heat it 3 You pay to get rid of it
How water is used in each area of the home There are many ways to save water in your home. By changing your water usage habits, you can vastly reduce the amount of water you use and save money without installing any costly devices or water saving gadgets. Other 5% Drinking 5% Outdoor 5% Toilet flushing 30% Washing up 8% Laundry 13% Personal washing 21% Showers 12%
Bathroom Bath vs. shower - A bath typically uses around 80, while a short shower can use as little as a third of that amount. Although, if you have a power-shower, it may actually use more than a bath! In summer, you can save more water by reusing your bathwater to water your houseplants or garden. Flushed away - More than a quarter of all the clean, drinkable water we use in our homes is flushed down a toilet. Try putting a hippo bag or other displacement device into the cistern to save some water. Your water company will be able to give you one of these devices for free. Brushing teeth Making sure you turn off the tap while brushing your teeth will save over 6 per minute.
Kitchen Cooking - Washing your fruit and vegetables in a bowl, rather than under a running tap, could cut down on water waste effortlessly. Taps - Replacing your dripping tap washer could save you over 18 a year. Also consider installing a water efficient tap or a tap aerator. Aerators in particular are cheap and simple quick fixes that you can do yourself. Cold water - Fill a jug with tap water and leave it to cool in your fridge. This way you don t have to run the tap for ages just to get a cold drink.
Let the dishwasher do the work Washing up by hand is likely to use more water (and energy) than a modern efficient dishwasher; even if you use a washing-up bowl! Make sure you fill the dishwasher though, or you ll be wasting even more than if you were to wash up by hand. Many dishwasher ECO settings provide the same cleaning power as a normal cycle, but with less water and energy. How much do you use? Water consumption is measured in cubic meters (m3). There are 1,000 of water in 1m3. So that you can see how much water you use, here are some examples of how different appliances would use 1m3 of water. 12 baths (80 per bath) 20 five minute showers (10 per minute) 111 flushes of the toilet (cistern holds 9 ) 83 minutes of running water (kitchen tap uses 12 per min) 55 buckets (18 per bucket) 200 basinfuls (holds 5 ) 55 kitchen sinkfuls (holds 18 )
Below is a comparison of water use and cost in a typical family household. The figures are based on an average routine for two adults and three children. Typical Day 1 Water used Each family member leaves tap running while brushing teeth for 5 mins twice per day Each family member leaves the tap running while having a wash for 5 mins twice per day Mum & Dad leave the tap running while washing the dishes for 7 mins twice per day Each family member flushes the toilet four times per day 450 168 450 180 Each family member has a bath 400 Total water used 1,684 litre Total cost of water per day 4.60 Total cost of water per year 1,679
Compare this with the same household, who have changed a few habits to become a little less wasteful with their water use. Typical Day 2 Water used Each family member turns the tap off while brushing teeth twice per day Each family member fills the basin for a wash twice per day Mum and Dad fill the sink twice per day to do washing up & rinse off dishes under the tap 4 36 50 Each family member flushes the toilet four times but on eco flush 60 Each family member has a 5 min shower 250 Total water used 400 litre Total cost of water per day 1.10 Total cost of water per year 401.50 Cost of items to save water 0.00 Total saving by changing habits 1,277.50
Contact Us For further information on how you can save money in your home or to speak directly to an Energy Advisor, please call Radian Direct on 0300 123 1 567. You can also e-mail: radiandirect@radian.co.uk or text on 07764 309062.