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Water is a precious resource that we tend to take for granted. The UK uses exorbitant amounts of water and much of it is spent unnecessarily. Each person uses about 150 litres of water every day with the average household consuming over 100,000 litres annually. That is equivalent to about 317 pints of milk and when you think of it like that, it really is a lot of water for so few people. Heating water to bath, wash up or shower contributes one-fifth of a household’s carbon footprint.

Transporting, heating and treating domestic water is the culprit and adds quite a few pennies to your bill each month, but far worse is the damage it does to the environment. You can save water just by applying a few rules in the home.

Turn off the tap

A running tap can waste about 9 litres of water per minute and you are literally sending your money down the drain when you do not use water efficiently. A simple way to save water is to make sure that each tap is closed properly and does not drip. Rinse your food in a bowl of water rather than under a running tap. Turn off the tap while you are shaving or brushing your teeth and instead of letting the cold water run while you wait for it to get warmer, save that water and use it to water your plants. If you have to wait for the hot tap to get cold, rather keep a jug of water in the fridge instead.

The little things you do

There are so many little things you can change to save water. Bathing uses more water than showering, so opt to use the latter. If you have to take a bath, do not fill it to capacity. Another tip is to only do washing when you have a full load as it wastes water and energy when you only put a small load in. When making a cup of tea, only fill the kettle with enough water for whoever is drinking it.

Saving water is everyone’s responsibility and will save you time and money.

Tags: water