Conserving water might sound like a simple thing to do, but when you really stop and think about how much you actually use on a daily basis — from laundry to dishes to washing your hands — you realise that it's a huge part of almost every aspect of your routine. Turning off the tap when you're brushing your teeth is a great start, but there are so many more things you can do to conserve water at home. According to the Energy Saving Trust, on a typical day, each household in the UK uses on average around 345 litres of water [1]. That is a lot of water, and while you may be saying to yourself, "I can't really avoid it," it turns out you actually can. Plus, small household changes can make all the difference. If you replace an inefficient shower head with a water-efficient one, you could end up saving £80 off your gas and water bills [2], so why not try to cut back to also save money? To protect this valuable resource, follow these easy tips for conserving water at home that you can start practicing right now.
Turn Off the Tap When Brushing Your Teeth
Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth and only turn it on to rinse your mouth and toothbrush. A running tap wastes approximately six litres per minute [4].
Take More Showers Than Baths
Since it takes about 80 litres of water [5] to fill a bathtub, short showers are much more water efficient. As often as you can, take a shower instead of a bath to save water.
Only Run Your Dishwasher With a Full Load
If you're lucky enough to have a dishwasher, you know how convenient they are, but they can also use a ton of water. Since dishwashers use a lot of water for each load, you can preserve water by saving it for full loads only. Everything else can quickly be washed in the sink. (Just remember to turn off the water while you're scrubbing dishes!)
Don’t Use Water During Peak Periods
You can cut down on wasting water by shortening the time you water your lawn or plants each day, watering fewer days a week, avoiding watering during peak periods, and making sure that your sprinkler is only hitting the necessary spots (i.e. no sidewalks!).
Check For Leaks in Your Home
Nobody enjoys getting a leak in their home, but it's better to be proactive about searching for them than to be surprised when they arrive. According to BBC, an average of 400 million litres of water per day [6] is lost to leaky UK toilets alone, so be sure to regularly check your taps, washing machine hookups, toilets, and showers every month to get ahead of any issues.
Rinse Your Razor in the Sink
Instead of shaving during your shower, which can take up a decent chunk of time all while the water is running, shave over the edge of the bathtub with the water shut off. Then, rinse your razor in the sink instead of the shower to save resources. This will help you take shorter showers and use less water!
Wash Full Loads of Laundry
Washing full loads of laundry is best, but sometimes you just need to throw in a small load when you need something to be clean. Small loads are still OK — just be sure to set the water to the right water-level setting. Also, if you switch to an energy-efficient washing machine [7], it can clean clothes using less water and less energy than standard appliances.
Cover Your Outdoor Pool
If you have an outdoor pool, then you know it can take more than two million litres of water to fill. If it's not covered, evaporation can cause thousands of litres of water per month to be lost.
Use a Rain Barrel
If you have a garden, set up a rain barrel outside to water the plants with. You can also set up a bucket in your shower to collect excess water, then take it outside for your daily watering, or use the leftover water in your pet bowls to water your plants before you refill them!