Regardless of whether you are on a water meter, it is more important than ever to save water in order to reduce energy consumption and, in most cases, save money. Wasted water is money down the drain. You may not be on a meter, but your water rates still pay for the cleaning of water that is already clean. Check out six easy ways that you can save hundreds of gallons of water a year.
1. Switch the tap off! How many people leave the tap running while they brush their teeth? This may seem like a tiny thing, but the three seconds it takes to turn the tap off could save you 6 litres of water PER MINUTE.
2. Save water in your toilet by investing in a water displacement device. This means that you need less water to flush the loo. If you don’t want to spend money, place a brick or a plastic bottle full of water in the cistern. A 500ml bottle will help you to save half a litre every flush, so over 5 litres a day!
3. Fix that tap. You may be used to the dripping tap, after all, it can’t do that much harm, right? WRONG! A dripping tap can lose you as much as 15 litres every single day.
4. Save on cold. Based on a tap flow of 6 litres per minute, we probably waste upwards of 20 litres a day running the cold tap until it is cold enough. Try filling a water jug with cold tap water and store it in the fridge: no more waiting for the water to cool.
5. Get a water butt. The best thing about wet British summers is that there is a plentiful supply of water falling from the sky most days! Install a water butt to collect rain water, which you can use for watering the garden.
6. Shorten your shower. We’re not suggesting that you limit every shower to a couple of minutes, but a shower can use up to 45 litres per minute. Install a water-saving fitting on your shower and try to get into the habits of taking shorter showers. Treat yourself once a week to a long, languorous shower or bath to reward yourself for your new water-saving habits!
Saving water is kind to the environment and kind on your wallet, too. If you would like help or tips on saving water, fixing leaks and drips, or installing water-saving devices, contact a local plumber, who will be happy to help you.
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