As the cost of living continues to rise, water bills are unfortunately not exempt. Earlier this year, Water UK announced that water bills would rise by 1.7 per cent in England and Wales from April 2022, pushing prices up by roughly £7 to £419 a year. 

If your water bills haven’t been affected by the recent increases, as the price of gas, electric, petrol and even food have been going up, it’s a good idea to have a look at where you can make savings. Water is an excellent place to start because it’s not only good for the purse-strings but it’s good for the environment too. 

Saving with time in the tub

When it comes to running a bath, make sure that you put the plug in before you start running the water, rather than waiting until the water heats up. If it takes a while for the hot water to come through, then use the cold water for something else. For example, you could collect it in a jug or bucket and use it for watering the plants or filling the kettle rather than just letting it go down the drain.

Once you’ve got the bath going, keep an eye on it and only fill it halfway so that you don’t have to let any out or have any spillages once you get in.

Saving with a speedy shower

Who doesn’t love a nice long shower? If you’re looking to save water though and have them time, then enjoy a nice long bath as you get more bang for your buck. A bath uses on average 82 litres of water and you can spend as long as you like in there, whereas a 20 minute shower consumes around 150 litres of water.

Alternatively, set an alarm for when you have a shower so that you don’t get carried away and spend too long in there.

If you can’t give up your long showers though, then at least you can save on the amount of water you have running during them. For example, don’t turn the shower on until you’re in there and then any time you’re not standing under the water to wash yourself or condition your hair, then turn the water off.

Saving with savvy shower heads and steam

If you’re really committed to saving on water then there are a couple of things you could buy to help. While fancy purchases might seem expensive upfront, they will save you money in the long run. For example, you can now buy water saving shower heads which restrict the volume of water that they allow to flow through them or you could install a steam shower which usually consumes around 9 litres of water in 20 minutes.

Saving with a luxury lavatory

Another purchase you could make to save on your water bills would be a rimless toilet. Not only are these easier to clean and more hygienic than a regular toilet, but they save on water usage because they use a direct flush technique that flushes water around the basin of the toilet instead of redistributing water like a traditionally rimmed toilet.

Saving with trimmings for your taps

Another thing you can buy for your bathroom are tap aerators or flow regulators. These are small attachments that save water by controlling the amount of water that flows through the tap. They either fit onto the end of your tap or can be inserted inside. Tap aerators can save you up to half your water usage without you feeling that you’re missing out on water pressure or quality.

Saving with common sense

There are a few other little things you can do to help save water and these will make all the difference. The first is so make sure that you always check for drips and leaks, because a dripping tap over a long amount of time could end up costing you a lot.

Secondly, don’t leave the water running. Whether you’re brushing your teeth, shaving or anything else, only have the water running when you’re using it.

Finally, hang your towels outside to dry. You don’t need to wash them after every use but hanging them in the bathroom isn’t the best option as there can be lots of germs accumulating in the air. It’s best to dry them outside to keep them clean and to limit how often you need to wash them.