Plumbing Tips on Saving Water in your Home or Business

Saving water in your home or business can help you reduce your water bills and energy bills whilst also having a positive effect on the environment.

Each household in the UK currently uses an average of 360 litres of water a day. By reducing the amount of water used in your home you can have a direct impact on the energy used to pump, treat and heat the water that you use and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that is produced in the process.

These plumbing tips offer realistic advice for homes and businesses on how you can reduce the amount of water that you use.

Reduce water used for flushing toilets

For homes that have older toilet cisterns installed, your toilet can use up to 13 litres of water each time it is flushed. Installing a newer toilet will reduce the amount of water used to 6 litres. About 30% of the water used within UK homes is used by the toilet offering significant reductions on water bills if reduced.

Check the building for leaks

Higher water bills are usually the result of leaks within the property plumbing. One of the most effective ways to discover if you have a leak is by turning off all water using appliances in the home and turning off the stop valve. Check the water metre after half an hour of turning the stop valve off and if you are still registering water use, then there is a good chance that there is a leak somewhere in the building.

Instal water efficient equipment

One of the best ways to save water and money in the long term is by replacing old equipment with water efficient alternatives. This includes high-pressure spray jets for the garden, efficient showerheads and installing a displacement device in the toilet.

Get your leaking taps fixed

Leaking taps are often overlooked as a source of water waste but leaving a dripping tap unattended will eventually squander about 5,000 litres of water by the end of the year.

Use showers more than baths

Your household (based on a family of four) could save up to £25 on water bills a year by each person replacing one bath a week with a five minute shower.

Don’t let water run

A running tap uses over six litres of water every minute. Whilst brushing your teeth or washing your face, you can save a significant amount of water if you turn your tap off.

Use a full load in your appliances

By filling up your washing machines, dishwashers and other appliances that consume water, you can make the most efficient use of your water supply by requiring their use less frequently.

Fill up your sink

Your water bill could be lowered by £30 per year by filling up a sink twice a day for your washing up instead of washing your utensils and dishes under a running tap.

What water efficient products are available?

Water efficient showerheads

A water efficient showerhead used by a family of four can save you an estimated £65 on energy bills and £100 on water bills per year.

Reduced capacity bathtubs

If you are installing a new bathroom or considering replacing the existing bath, you could reduce the amount of water you use significantly by choosing a reduced capacity bathtub. The standard bath holds a capacity of 80 litres which is a great water usage even when less than half full.

Water efficient dishwashers or washing machines

When purchasing a new water consuming appliances such as dishwashers or washing machines check that they carry the Waterwise Recommended Checkmark or the European Water Efficient Product Label to show how energy and water efficient they are.

Low flow taps

You can replace all the water taps in your home or business with taps that use a low flow rate such as aerated and regulated flow taps for bathrooms or
click point taps for kitchens.

toilet displacement device

Inserting a toilet displacement device can save about 3.5 litres of water on every flush.

Buy products with water efficient labelling

There are a number of labelling systems for plumbing and bathroom supplies that allow customers to recognise the water efficiency of the product. You can identify water efficient products by whether they have a Bathroom Manufacturers Association label or a Waterwise Recommended Checkmark.