It’s Water Saving Week 2022, the annual event aims to raise awareness of the issues around water use and how being water efficient can help the environment, as well as save us money.
According to research from Water’s Worth Saving, the average person in the UK uses 142 litres of water a day, but 46% of people think that their household uses just 20 litres.
The true figures mean that an average family of four in the UK could be using more than 500 litres of water a day.
With soaring energy prices and rising water bills, the cost of living crisis is affecting millions of households. But people all over the UK can make small changes to conserve water, and it’s not just about protecting the environment.
Saving water in your home can actually help you to save money too, by reducing your energy and water bills.
The Consumer Council for Water (CCW), an independent voice for water consumers in England and Wales, has spoken to the Mirror about the benefits of saving water and revealed their top tips for reducing water usage, which could save you over £1,000 a year.
How much money can you save by conserving water?
In February, Water UK revealed that the average water bills across England and Wales were set to rise by 1.7% in April, bringing the average water bill to £419 a year.
At the same time, energy bills soared for millions of households across the UK due to an increase in the energy price cap. The rise means that energy bills will increase by an average of £693 for around 18 million households this year.
The massive increase has resulted in millions of people looking for ways to reduce their bills, and conserving water is one way to save money.
Your water usage also affects your energy bills, so conserving water doesn’t just have the potential to lower your water bills, it can also reduce your energy bills too.
Karen Gibbs, Senior Leader at the CCW, spoke to The Mirror about the benefits of saving water. She said: “When we make a conscious effort to save water we help to ease the pressure on the environment we take it from and can boost our finances too.
"But almost two-thirds of us have not taken any action in the past six months to reduce how much we use."
How much money you can save will depend on your household's water usage, but CCW's tips for reducing water use have the potential to save you a massive £1,330 per year.
Best tips for saving water
Water-saving expert Karen spoke about how there are lots of easy ways to save water and money. She told The Mirror: "There are so many simple ways to save – whether that’s taking shorter showers or opting to use a watering can rather than a hose.
"Much of the water we use in the home comes from the hot tap, which means we can take some of the heat out of soaring energy bills too.”
CCW have shared some of their top tips for saving water and reducing your bills, here's what they are.
- Take shorter showers – lots of the water we use in the home comes from the hot tap. That means if you have a water meter you can double up on water and energy savings too. If every person in a family of four halved their daily shower time from 10 minutes to five minutes they could save almost £700 a year.
- Trial a water meter – about four out of 10 households in England and Wales still don't have a water meter, but you might be better off with one. CCW’s water meter calculator can help you work out if you might save and those who can cut their bill by switching typically save about £200 a year.
- Checking for leaky loos – a single leaking toilet wastes an average of between 200 and 400 litres of water per day. If you have a meter, that could add more than £430 to your water bill every year so checking for leaks can help you prevent this cost.
- Fish for some freebies - your water company should be able to provide you with a pack of free water-saving devices to help you soak up savings around the home. Water companies also offer virtual or face to face visits with free advice on what other ways you could save water in the home.
