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Save Water

Reducing how much water you use will save you money on your energy bills as around 15% of an homes heating bill is from hot water. This will also help to reduce your carbon footprint.

By installing a water meter, you could save even more money by reducing how much water you use. Read the below tips on how you can save water at home.

 

Save water in the home

Swap baths for showers
  • Baths use on average 80 litres per use, switch to showers to use less water
Take shorter showers, aim for 4 minutes
  • Showers use between 9-19 litres a minute depending on how old/efficient the shower head is,
Turn off taps when not in use
  • Running taps can use 9 litres of water a minute, turning taps off while brushing your teeth could save 18 litres of water
Make sure to fully load appliances before use
  • Appliances like dishwashers and washing machines use the same amount of water no matter how full they are
  • Making sure they’re full will mean you use these appliances less
Use eco modes on appliances
  • Dishwashers and washing machines use less water and wash at lower temperatures on eco mode saving water and energy
Use a washing up bowl
  • This takes less water to fill saving water with every wash

Click here to take the water fit quiz to find out how you can save water in your home

Save water in the garden

Water in the morning or evening
  • This reduces evaporation meaning more water is absorbed into the soil
Harvest rain water
  • Rain water is full of nutrients which are great for your plants, and it is free
Let your lawn go brown
  • It’s ok to let your lawn go brown over the dryer months. It will bounce back once it rains
Use a watering can instead of a hose or sprinkler
  • A running hose or sprinkler can use 1,000 litres of water an hour. That’s the same as having 12.5 baths
If you’re using a pool this summer
  • Top it up rather than emptying it out and re-use the water on your garden plants
Wash your car with a bucket and sponge
  • Try to reduce how often you wash your car. When you need to, use a bucket and sponge instead of a hose

Click here for discounted garden water saving devices from Portsmouth Water

Technologies

Fit aerators to taps and showers
  • These can reduce litres of water per minute to 3.5 – 5 without reducing the pressure
Install a dual flush toilet
  • A full flush toilet can use up to 11 litres per flush where as a dual flush uses 4-6 litre
Running water from tap
Where dual flush is not an option, use a cistern displacement device
  • This can save 1 litre per flush, around 5000 litres a year
Fix leaking taps and toilets
  • A dripping tap can lose 90 litres of water every day, a rapid stream of drips can waste 32,000 litres a year

Should I get a water meter

  • If you are not on a water meter, you will be charged a fixed amount for water based on the value of your house.
  • Switching to a water meter means you’ll only pay for the water you use.
  • If you think you don’t use that much water or if there are fewer people in your home than bedrooms, you could save money on your water bill by switching to a water meter.
  • Water meters can be installed for free by your supplier, even if you are renting.
  • If you are unhappy after switching, you can change back to unmetered water within 24 months.
  • Click here to use the online water calculator to see if you could save money by installing a water meter.
  • You can apply for a water meter by contacting your water supplier or by visiting their website.
Standard water meter

Can I get discounts on my water bill

Social water tariffs:

All water suppliers have tariffs with lower charges and capped bills for households on low incomes. You can check if you’re eligible for a reduced water bill by visiting your water suppliers website.

Assessed charges:

You may be eligible for an assessed water discount if you are unable to have a water meter installed for your property. This is common for high-rise buildings.

Money savings on a table

Why saving water matters?

It saves money
  • Reducing use of heated water will lead to lower energy bills
  • For people on a water meter, saving water will reduce their water bill
It saves energy
  • A large amount of water for domestic use is heated – on average 15% of a households heating bill is from heating water
  • Energy is needed to transport, purify and treat water and waste water
  • Water companies use 2% of the UK’s electricity
  • Saving water can save emissions
Protect the environment
  • Portsmouth has now been classified as an area of serious water stress
  • Climate change is leading to increasing irregularity in rainfall, drier summers and wetter winters, increasing frequency of droughts
  • Population growth leading to increased demand on limited water resources
  • High water use will take water away from our natural environments like rivers, bays and estuaries damaging those ecosystems and it will also deplete our water reservoirs leading to water scarcity
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