Three Valleys Water - Water Efficiency - Saving water in the home

Saving water in the home

We encourage our customers to be water efficient as we operate in the driest region of the UK. The most obvious and effective place for you to start saving water is in your home. You can save a lot of water by making small changes to your daily habits.

The following tips are all easy to do, and a little effort from each household will add up to a huge reduction in water use across our area.

In the bathroom:

Dual flush and low flush toilets can reduce a household's water use by up to 20% when replacing a 9-litre version. You can get dual flush toilets which use far less water per flush. When using a dual flush toilet, try to use the half flush where possible.

Have showers instead of baths if possible. When buying a shower always look for a water efficient model - but be careful with a power shower which uses around 65 litres per use, more than twice the amount of water as a normal shower which uses around 30 litres.

Give a home to a Hippo to reduce the water you use every time you flush. A Hippo works by taking up space in your toilet cistern so that it fills up with less water and therefore uses less water each time you flush. They only work however, in old style toilets which use around 9 litres each flush. More information available on www.hippo-the-watersaver.co.uk

Turn the tap off while cleaning your teeth instead of leaving it running, or use a glass of water.

Check the temperature of the bath water as you fill the bath rather than putting hot water in first. This will save you having to fill the bath with cold water to achieve the right temperature. It will also save on energy used to heat the water.

When boiling the kettle you will save water and electricity if you only boil enough for your immediate use, but do make sure that you always cover the element.

In the kitchen:

Wait until the dishwasher or washing machine is full or use the half-load button for smaller washes. Always try to buy a water efficient model if possible by checking it has "A" rating on the energy efficient label.

Don't use a running tap to wash dishes or vegetables, use a washing-up bowl instead.

Keep a jug or bottle of tap water in the fridge to drink. Not only will it taste delicious but it will save you having to run the cold tap until the water is cool - especially in warm weather.

It might go against the grain but try to ignore the washing-up until you have a full bowl.

A dripping tap can waste between 14 and 30 litres of water daily. If you pay for your water on metered charges, you could save over £10 per year simply by fixing a dripping tap.

Lag your pipes to ensure they stay warm to prevent them from bursting in cold weather. This will also help reduce your heating bills.

Use a bucket of water to wash your car instead of a hose. Just 30 minutes with a hosepipe will use more water than the average family use in a day. Remember; during a hosepipe ban using the hose to wash your car is not permitted.

When you're cleaning the kitchen or bathroom, only turn on the tap when you are ready to rinse the bath or sink down. Or better still, use a bucket of water rather than a running tap.

Use spray tap fittings on your taps to reduce the volume of water used.

When looking for a new home, or replacing your kitchen or bathroom, look for water efficient fittings which can save water and save money off your water bill., Made by the major fittings manufacturers, water efficient fittings are readily available, stylish, often costing no more than traditional fittings. Developers, like most commercial organisations, respond to demand, so please help us to convince the developer of your next home to install water efficient fittings. Look at our Useful Links page to find links to manufacturers who produce water efficient fittings.