Climate change and extreme weather mean that our water supply is becoming more and more unpredictable. The average person in the UK uses 142 litres of water per day – that’s nearly two full baths of water!
Campaigners for sustainable water use have called for the Government to adopt a national target to bring personal water use below 100 litres per day by 2050 – that’s 43 litres less than we’re currently using. Here we have 6 ways that you can save water in your home now, and keep below the personal water target.
Change your showerhead
Power showers are water guzzlers, using around 15 litres of water per minute. Given that the average shower lasts around 10 minutes, that’s up to 150 litres of water every time you shower. The average showerhead uses 12 litres of water per minute, whereas a low-flow showerhead uses around 6 litres per minute. Therefore, switching to low-flow will save up to 50% on your water usage. You could also opt for an aerated showerhead, which reduces the flow without compromising on pressure by mixing air with the water. It’s worth noting that filling a bath a third of the way up requires about 75 litres of water – so if you choose to, you could actually save water by having a bath instead of a power shower!
Fix dripping taps
Across the UK alone, some 460 million litres of water is lost through dripping taps every year – that’s enough to fill 184 Olympic-sized swimming pools. A single dripping tap wastes at least 5,500 litres of water a year. Fix the drip and you’ll not only save enough water to fill a child’s paddling pool every week of the summer, you’ll save money, too – a leak of one drip per second can increase your annual water bill by 6%.
Add to the load
Washing machines use 50-60 litres of water per cycle, so wait until you have a full load before using. While, traditionally, manufacturers have advised that washing machines should not be overloaded, better technology means that fuller is better, within the limitations of the machine. Not only will you use less water by doing fewer, larger loads, you’ll save energy – and therefore money too. Many newer machines also have an eco mode which you can use.
Reuse rainwater
An average UK roof collects 85,000 litres of rain a year – that’s enough water to fill 450 water butts per year. Install a water butt in the garden and you can use that rainwater to wash your car or water your garden. Plus, rainwater is better for your plants. Not only do plants not like the chlorine in tap water, but rainwater is also more acidic, helping to release the micronutrients essential to plant growth, and it contains more oxygen.
Keep an eye on that kettle
With a kettle, you often boil much more water than necessary. Some 70 million litres of boiled water are thrown away every day in the UK, but there’s no need to empty and re-fill the kettle every time. You could also invest in a boiling hot water tap. That way, you only use the exact amount of hot or boiling water you need. The reservoir provides both boiling and hot water, so you don’t need to boil the kettle or run the tap until the water’s hot enough. With a Quooker system in your kitchen, you always have instant 100°C boiling water alongside regular hot and cold. Add a Quooker CUBE and you will also have filtered chilled and sparkling water – all from the same tap.
Take the first step towards conserving water and reducing your environmental impact today. Contact us to make this a reality!