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Power showers
A normal shower uses around 30 litres but power showers can use much more, approximately 60-100 litres per use (assuming a 4-6 minute shower). To work out your shower's consumption, simply take a meter reading before and after you take a shower, making sure that no other water appliances are in use. Also check how often other members of the household use the shower and for how long.
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Toilet flushing
A regular flush uses around 8 litres of water but older WCs use around 9 litres. In fact, toilets on average account for 30% of water use in the home. If you spend most of your time at home, this figure and your overall water consumption will be higher. |
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Baths
An average bath uses about 85 litres of water. Again, you can use the meter to determine how much water you use in your average bath by taking a reading before and after you've run your bath. |
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Overflows
These can waste a lot of water and it may not always be obvious. For example, in some cases the overflow pipe is plumbed into bath overflows or even the flush pipe of the toilet (which is against water regulations) and so wastage is not always noticeable.
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Dripping taps
Check all your taps and make sure they shut off securely. Change washers if necessary. A dripping tap can waste at least 1500 litres of water a year (one drip per second). |
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Water softeners
Check that the softener is set correctly for local water conditions by referring to the manufacturer's manual. If possible, turn off the water softener for a week and take a meter reading before and after see if there is a noticeable difference. |
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Swimming pools and ponds
Topping up swimming pools and ponds uses up to 1000 litres per hour by hosepipe and some pools automatically refill when the level is low. Assess how much water you use by taking a meter reading before and after topping up your pool or pond.
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Summer consumption
Most people use more water in summer, not only because they water their gardens but also through 'spring cleaning' and taking more showers.
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Extra visitors
The more people in your home, the higher your water consumption. Perhaps you are having building work done, receiving a lot of visitors or your children are back from university.
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Other uses
Consider how often you use your washing machine and check any other plumbed in appliance with an overflow.
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Water usage checklist
Your water consumption is affected by the number of people in your household, how often you use the appliances and the general condition of your internal pipework and appliances.
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| To help you understand how much water you use, just complete this easy-to-follow checklist to estimate your average daily consumption. |
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