Are you interested in reducing your annual water bill by at least 10%? In the United Kingdom on average each person uses 150 litres of water per day, but reducing your water usage really can generate monthly water bill savings that will make a real difference to your personal finances. We have put together some simple but effective tips which we believe will help you make those all important water bill reductions.

Dripping taps can be a huge source of wastage and this can be graphically highlighted by placing a bucket underneath a dripping tap and observing how much water is wasted each and every day. This water wastage costs you money and you can generate significant water bill savings simply by replacing washers in offending taps, which cost a few pence, or replacing deteriorating taps completely.

Water Meter

Most households are charged according to the average water consumption of other households in their area, or even their region. However if you are careful with water whilst others use it to excess, then why should you subsidise their water bill? Asking for a water meter to be installed means that you will only be charged for the water you actually use and if you are single, elderly, a couple or are a family who are careful with their water usage you could find that you can make significant water bill savings each and every month. A water meter is also a great way to help you reduce your water usage in general or to get you to think a little more about how and when you use it.

Cistern Displacement Devices (Water Hippos)

We mentioned earlier that on average in the United Kingdom each person uses approximately 150 litres of water each day, but did you know that between 50-60 litres of this are related to toilet flushing? Water Hippos are great little money saving devices which you simply drop into the water cistern of your toilet, which is used to flush your toilet. Once in place it reduces the amount of water needed to fill the cistern from your mains water supply which means that you use less water when you flush. Given that it will take around 10 litres of water to flush a standard toilet this simple device really can provide you with some serious water bill savings, without reducing the effectiveness of your flush action. Most water companies will send this product to you for free if you write and ask them or alternatively you can place a brick in your cistern, which will achieve the same result. Just make sure you wrap the brick in a plastic bag first to stop it building up mold.

Think Before you Flush

We rarely need to use a whole cistern of water to flush urine away and dual flush toilets are an excellent way of maximising your water bill savings by using less water. Dual Flush toilets allow you to choose a longer or short flush and by choosing the correct type you can save litres of water each time. Also think about whether you actually need to flush every time you go to the toilet. Whilst it may not be pleasant to think about, it can often be much more practical to flush every other time you go to the toilet if it is just urine to flush away. This will save you around 10 litres of water each and every time and help you save money on your water bill.

Take A Shower Instead of a Bath

30% of water use in the home is in the shower. A shower uses approximately half as much water than a bath and is the best way to generate regular water bill savings, every day. Whilst you may not be able to soak or relax like you can in a bath you can rest in the knowledge that you will be using on average half the amount of water which will contribute to your monthly water bill savings.

Water Reduction Shower Head

These are excellent products that can help you to find additional water bill savings. A traditional shower head can use up to 20 litres of water per minute, whilst a water reduction shower head uses almost half that amount at around 11 litres of water per minute. They will fit to most existing showers and they mix air with the water before it comes out through the shower head. This has the effect of reducing the amount of water needed without reducing the effectiveness of the shower you receive. This is the most efficient way to enjoy a refreshing shower whilst making water bill savings.

Avoid Garden Hoses or Sprinkler Systems

Garden hoses and sprinkler systems may make the job of watering your garden easier but they also consume large quantities of water and are hopelessly inefficient in their distribution of it. Using a watering can will help you to direct the water exactly where it needs to go and significantly boost your water bill savings over the year. To improve these savings further consider buying a water butt for your garden , which collects rain water from your drain down pipe that runs from your roof. You can then water your garden for free with this method. Also if you do have a bath consider recycling bath water by using it to water your plants, that way you can make further water bill savings.

Plant Hardy Varieties

Over the summer months your garden needs regular watering and this can seriously boost your water usage, especially if you have a large garden. You can make significant water bill savings just by thinking about the design of your garden and planting hardy varieties that require less water, commonly referred to as “Drought Resistant”. Spend some time doing a little research on your plants and flowers before deciding on which varieties to choose.

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