Water watch: five simple ways to conserve water after increase to household bills announced

Customers of nearly all water companies in England and Wales will see a rise in average household bills by 2029/30 (Rui Vieira/PA) - (PA Archive)

The average water bill is to rise by £86 starting in April, according to industry regulator Ofwat.

The increases in England and Wales over the next five years are to pay for improvements to supply infrastructure and to reduce sewage discharges, the regulator said.

Annual costs per household will rise to £597 in five years and Thames Water, which is struggling under a massive debt load, will be allowed to charge customers 36 per cent more over the next five years.

The bill increases “may be less than what water companies wanted but they are still more than what many people can afford”, according to the Consumer Council for Water, which assists in resolving consumer concerns.

Customers would be “hit particularly hard from April”, it said. Its chief executive, Mike Keil, said that at least two out of five households in Wales and England “will find these increases difficult to afford”.

So what can you do to save water in your daily routine?

We can all do our bit

On average each person in the UK uses around 142 litres of water every day, with each individual having an estimated 4.4 showers and 1.3 baths each week.

But, if everyone in the country switched to a three-minute shower, there would be enough water saved to supply a staggering one million homes every day.

How to save water: collect cold shower water and use it to water plants

Five ways to save water

Clotilde Passalacqua, interior design leader at Ikea UK and Ireland, offers some tips on how to save water and to live more sustainably.

1. Multiple use

While you are waiting for your shower to heat up, pop a bucket on the floor so that the cold water is being collected and can be used to water your plants later on.

2. Reusing cooking water

Use the water from your cooking to water the plants as well.

3. Keep it full

If you have a lot of washing up to do then use the dishwasher instead of doing it by hand – if you always fill the dishwasher it uses less water than washing by hand.

4. Forget-me-not

Don’t forget to turn off the tap when you are brushing your teeth or shaving. A running tap can slosh over six litres of water down the plughole every minute.

5. Keep it simple – and quick

Pop a timer on when you shower to help keep track of the time.

Also look out for water-saving shower heads or kitchen mixer taps with “cold-start” functions.