In your home
Kitchen/utility rooms
Washing machine
When doing the laundry wait until you have a full load. Always use the half load setting when it is necessary to wash less. When replacing your washing machine, look at the eco-labels for energy consumption and water consumption and make sure that you buy one that is A rated.
Washer dryers
Treat your washing to a line dry whenever possible. Washer dryers use water to condense moisture out of clothes when they are tumble drying so you are actually using water to get your clothes dry! Line drying saves water, electricity and money and your clothes will smell really fresh.
Dishwasher
Always make sure you have a full load before you switch on the machine. Wash up in a bowl if you only have a few things to wash.
Taps and sinks
Dripping taps can waste over half a litre every 10 minutes. Replace washers on dripping taps and leaky plugs. Use a bowl to wash a few dishes rather than filling the whole sink or using the dishwasher. Rinse vegetables in a bowl rather than under running water and put the waste water on the garden or houseplants. Re-use washing up water for the garden (if it is not too greasy) but make sure that you vary the part of the garden on which you use this water.
Kettle
If you are making a drink, fill the kettle with only the water you need. This will save energy as well as water.
Drinking water
Water is essential to maintain healthy bodies and minds. Tap water is by far the cheapest way of buying water, 50 glasses cost around 1p, and can taste just as good.
Store tap water in a covered container in the fridge and that way you won't need to run to the tap each time you need a cold drink, any chlorine taste will disappear too.
Bathrooms/toilets
Toilet
About one third of all water used in the home goes down the toilet. If you have a dual flush toilet, use the short flush where possible. A save-a-flush can save up to 1 litre of water per flush. It's easy to install in most toilet cisterns that were installed before 2000 and are available free of charge to our customers. Request a save-a-flush.
Never use the toilet as a bin. The sewerage system is only designed for natural bodily functions and toilet roll. Other so-called disposable items can cause blockages, over flows and sewer flooding. The items have to be removed from the sewage system and sent to landfill so why not send them there in the first place and save a lot of time, effort and problems. You know what the toilet is for. Please don’t use it to get rid of anything else.
Bathing
A bath can use as much as 80 litres. Taking a shower can save almost two thirds of the water that is needed to fill a bath (power shower excepted). A power shower can use more water than a bath in only 5 minutes.
Did you know that spending one minute less in the shower could save you around 40 glasses of water per day? Why not accept our challenge and try to reduce your shower by one minute. We have 2,000 shower timers to give away to help you meet our challenge! You can request your free shower timer by filling in our request form, or by telephoning 01245 212360.
Basins
Check all taps on basins, bidets and baths for drips and replace washers as necessary. Don’t leave the tap running when you brush your teeth, wash or shave. You could save as much as 10 litres of water. Put the plug in and run only as much as you need.
Frozen pipes
Frost may look pretty but a cold, frosty spell can cause pipes to freeze, and then burst. If there is a freeze, and then a thaw, burst pipes will waste water and could also result in damage to furniture or property. A few simple precautions can help keep everything safe and dry.
If you are leaving a building unattended in winter set your heating to come on for short periods every day. Make sure you know where your stopcock is and check that it works. Ensure that pipes and tanks in the loft are lagged, mend any dripping taps and overflows and check the loft tank lid – it should be insulated and fit properly.
Lag pipes in unheated outhouses and garages and, if possible, turn off the supply to the garden, garage and outhouse taps and drain the pipes in winter.
If you are going away for a long period it is best to turn off your water at the stopcock and drain pipes and tanks.