So, Babe has scoured the Internet and spoken to some very nice Water Authority bods to find out how we can all save money on the old H20*. Here are my findings – tried and tested...
In the Kitchen
Easy
1.) Use a bowl to wash up, wash hands and prepare vegetables (potential saving = hard to say but a running tap uses around 10 litres of water per minute!)
2.) Half load cycles on a washing machine or dishwasher use almost as much water as a full load, so only use them when you’ve got enough dirty plates or stinky socks to justify it. (potential saving = not sure, but on average an automatic washing machine uses 120 litres of water for a 5kg load)
3.) Try to avoid rinsing dishes before you put them into the dishwasher (potential saving=see tip 1)
4.) Only put the amount in the kettle that you need
(potential saving =depends on the level of your caffeine fixation!)
Moderate
1.) Ditch the dishwasher and wash up by hand (Potential saving = 30 litres of water per marigold wearing session)
Tried and Tested
For some Babes the thought of washing up by hand might be a daunting prospect, but for me a dishwasher is a long distant dream. I’m used to washing up by hand and always use a bowl – I don’t actually understand how you’re supposed to wash up without one?! Half load cycles don’t figure in this household as we both condemn our clothes to the washing bin at the end of the working day. I haven’t quite mastered the preparing vegetables in the bowl part of this yet and I am forever over filling the kettle, but in my defence, I’ll just re-boil the water that’s in there instead of filling it fresh – so that’s not too bad. All in all, saving money in the kitchen is a bit of a doddle really – get to it now my fellow Babes!
In the Bathroom
Easy
1.) Fit a water saving device into your toilet cistern. These come in different guises, such as the Freddie Frog, Save a Flush and the Hippo, but basically work in the same way by displacing water in your cistern. Many are available free of charge from your local Water Authority. But check that they’re compatible with your loo before fitting, some newer toilets, especially those with dual flush systems won’t accommodate them. (Potential saving=1 litre per flush for Save a Flush, 3 litres per flush for the Hippo!)
2.) Take a shower instead of a bath, but BEWARE the mighty power shower might use more than a bath! (potential saving=80 litres per 5 minute shower for a shower of the non power variety)
3.) If you are indulging in a relaxing bath, only fill it with enough water to cover your bod – you don’t need to recreate the Flake advert. Even better get someone to share the bath with you! And, when the water is going cold – it’s time to get out, don’t reach for the tap for a top up! (potential saving=I’m guessing here at about 50 litres)
4.) When cleaning the bathroom, rinse the cloth in the sink with the plug in – you only need to run the taps for the final rinse (potential saving=hard to say but running taps use about 8 litres of water per minute)
5.) Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth, or use a tumbler for that final rinse (potential saving=see tip 4)
6.) Put the plug in when shaving or washing your hands (potential saving=see tip 4)
Only for the Dedicated
1.) If you’re thinking of refitting your bathroom there’s lots of water saving devices you can install. Go for an acrylic bath which will keep the heat in for longer, press taps are ideal for the sink in the cloakroom, fancy shower heads can save up to 50% on your water consumption and some households are even going as far as fitting a urinal for the man of the house, which uses only 2l of water per flush! See Waterwise for a selection of these products. (potential saving=if the hype surrounding these products is to be believed – lots!)
2.) Cut down your shower time by using a shower timer. Ripple Products have some funky designs giving you 4 minutes to scrub-a-dub-dub (potential saving= approx 30 litres, based on the fact that the average shower length is 7 minutes!)
Tried & Tested
Well we fitted a device in the loo cistern as soon as we moved in, it’s so easy and with Babe’s necessity to ‘have a try’ before venturing into the great outdoors I’m sure it must save us a small fortune! Washing-wise, baths are reserved for when we’ve had ‘one of those days at work’, but saying that I’m not convinced about the whole 4 minute shower thing. I tried it and I’d only just managed to wash the shampoo out of my hair when the timer rang out. I hadn’t even conditioned, washed, or shaved. Hmm, it might be OK if you’re a bald bloke, but otherwise a better option is just to try and reduce your time in the shower. I’ve hung a stopwatch in the bathroom and I’m trying to take 30 seconds off every week – tip: I’ve found a highly organised shampoo and shower gel collection helps. Turning the tap off and putting the plug in makes sense, but how often do we actually do it? A habit to get into methinks, but beware the leaky sink plug – think a trip to Wilko may be on the cards!
The Great Outdoors
Easy
1.) Use dirty dishwater on your garden – apparently there’s something in it which scares away those nasty aphids(potential saving=10 litres)
2.) Use a watering can and target plants that really need the water(potential saving=hard to say but a sprinkler or hosepipe uses 1000 litres per hour)
3.) Water early morning or in the evening to avoid water evaporating in the midday sun (potential saving=hard to say)
4.) Don’t water when its windy, you’ll lose water in the breeze (potential saving=hard to say)
5.) Wash your car with a bucket and sponge instead of a hosepipe, if you do have to use a hosepipe use one with a trigger so the water flow stops when you put the hose down (potential saving=300 litres per carwash)Moderate
1.) Use a water butt (potential saving =10 litres)
Only For the Dedicated
1.) Use that dirty bath water to water the garden (potential saving=10 litres)
2.) Use a bucket to catch excess water when you’re waiting for the shower to heat up and use this on your garden (potential saving=10 litres)
3.) There are alternative products available for washing your car, including wipes (like those ones you whip your make up off with) and sprays
Tried & Tested
Well as we’re in winter at the moment and the heavens are regularly open, there’s not really been the opportunity to test any of this. In terms of washing the car I always use a bucket anyway, slightly intrigued by the wipes and sprays but I do wonder whether they would actually save money as well as water. Not sure how you’re supposed to be able to transport water from the bath to the garden without making a total mess of the house?!
Other Tips
1.) Fix that dripping tap and you’ll save 4,680 litres of waster water per year
2.) Know where your stop tap is so you can shut off the water supply in case of a leak
In conclusion…sometimes it’s not about saving water, but re-using water which would have otherwise been ‘wasted’. Babe waits with baited breath to see if her next water bill will have shrunk.
Got any other water saving tips to share? Add them to my comments!
* Don’t forget water conservation methods are only going to save you money if you’re on a metered system. But they’re a great way of helping the environment even if you’re paying on a rateable value
Babe would like to thank the following organisations for their help with this feature:
The Bathroom Association - http://www.bathroom-association.org/watersaving/default.asp
U Switch – http://www.uswitch.com/
Bristol Water – http://www.bristolwater.co.uk/
Wessex Water – www.wessexwater.co.uk
Southern Water – http://www.southernwater.co.uk/
Severn Trent Water – http://www.stwater.co.uk/
Waterwise – www.waterwise.org.uk
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