Saving Water at Home Without Feeling Deprived

Water feels cheap until you add it up. In homes with a water meter, every litre is charged, and heating water is one of the larger energy costs in many households. Even where water is billed at a flat rate, hot water still costs money to heat. Saving water therefore tends to save twice: once on the water bill and again on the energy bill.

This guide shows where household water goes, how to find and fix waste, and how to cut use comfortably — without cold, two-minute showers or a dried-out garden.

Where the water goes

Patterns differ by country, household and season, but in many homes the largest uses are:

• Showers and baths, often the biggest single use.
• Toilets, particularly older models with large cisterns.
• Washing machines and dishwashers.
• Taps for washing, cooking, drinking and cleaning teeth.
• Gardens and outdoor use, which can dominate in summer.
• Leaks, which can waste large amounts silently.

Knowing your biggest uses tells you where effort pays off most. If you have a water meter, reading it before and after typical activities gives a rough idea of how much each one uses.

Step one: hunt for leaks

Leaks are pure waste and often go unnoticed.

The meter test

If you have a water meter:

1. Make sure nobody uses any water and that appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers are not running.
2. Read the meter, or take a photo of the dial.
3. Wait at least half an hour — ideally a couple of hours — without using any water.
4. Read the meter again.

If the reading has changed, water is escaping somewhere. Check taps, toilets, outside taps and visible pipes. If you cannot find the leak, it may be underground on your supply pipe; contact your water company, which may offer leak detection or repair support.

Leaking toilets

A toilet that keeps running or trickles into the bowl can waste a great deal of water. To test, put a few drops of food colouring in the cistern (the tank) and wait fifteen to thirty minutes without flushing. If coloured water appears in the bowl, the flush valve or seal is leaking. Replacement parts are usually inexpensive; if you are not confident fitting them, a plumber can do it quickly.

Dripping taps

A dripping tap may seem trivial, but a steady drip continues day and night. Most drips are caused by a worn washer or cartridge, which is a simple, cheap repair — see our guide to fixing a dripping tap.

Step two: cheap fittings that save water

Several inexpensive fittings reduce use without changing habits. Many water companies offer some of them free to customers, so check before buying.

• Water-efficient shower heads deliver a satisfying spray with less water. Check compatibility first: some low-pressure systems and electric showers are not suitable for aerated or restricted heads.
• Tap aerators mix air into the flow, reducing the volume of water while keeping the stream feeling full.
• Cistern displacement devices — a bag or block placed in an older, large toilet cistern — reduce the water used per flush. They are not suitable for modern dual-flush or low-volume toilets, which are already efficient.
• Shower timers remind you how long you have been in the shower.
• Dual-flush toilets use a small flush for liquids and a full flush for solids; if you are replacing a toilet anyway, an efficient model saves water for decades.

In the bathroom

The bathroom is where most household water is used, so habits here matter most.

• Shorter showers. Reducing shower time by a couple of minutes saves both water and the energy used to heat it. A song-length shower is a good target for many people.
• Showers instead of baths, usually. A full bath can use a lot more water than a short shower, though a long shower with a powerful head may use as much as a bath.
• Turn off the tap while brushing teeth or shaving. A running tap wastes several litres a minute.
• Do not use the toilet as a bin. Tissues, wipes and cotton buds waste a flush — and wipes can block drains.
• Fix the hot-water wait. If you run the tap for a long time waiting for hot water, catch the cold water in a jug for plants, cooking or the kettle.

In the kitchen

• Fill a bowl to wash vegetables rather than rinsing them under a running tap, then use the water on plants.
• Keep a jug of drinking water in the fridge so you do not run the tap until it is cold.
• Use the dishwasher efficiently. A modern dishwasher with a full load often uses less water than washing the same dishes by hand under a running tap. Scrape plates instead of pre-rinsing them, and use eco programmes where available.
• If washing up by hand, use a bowl rather than a running tap, and rinse in a second bowl.
• Boil only the water you need in the kettle; it saves energy too.
• Cook vegetables in a small amount of water — or steam them — and save the cooking water for stock or gravy.

Laundry

• Wash full loads, or use a half-load setting if your machine has one.
• Choose eco programmes, which typically use less water and energy, although they may take longer.
• Wash at lower temperatures where suitable; most of a washing machine's energy goes into heating water (more on this in our laundry guide).
• Do not over-wash. Many clothes, such as jeans and jumpers, can be worn several times before washing.

In the garden

Outdoor water use can be enormous during dry spells.

• Water in the early morning or evening, when less is lost to evaporation.
• Water the roots, not the leaves. A watering can or soaker hose directed at the base of plants is more efficient than a sprinkler.
• Water less often but more deeply, which encourages deeper roots that cope better with dry weather.
• Install a water butt to collect rainwater from downpipes. Rainwater is free and many plants prefer it.
• Mulch beds and pots with bark, compost or gravel to keep moisture in the soil.
• Choose drought-tolerant plants for sunny spots.
• Let lawns go golden in summer. Established grass usually recovers when rain returns; check local guidance.
• Use a bucket and sponge to wash the car instead of a hose, or use a car wash that recycles water.
• Use a trigger nozzle on any hose so water only flows when you need it.

Some areas impose restrictions on hosepipe use during droughts; check local rules.

Saving hot water saves energy

Every litre of hot water saved also saves the energy that would have heated it. To make the most of this:

• Insulate hot-water pipes and cylinders to reduce heat loss.
• Set hot-water temperatures sensibly. Stored hot water must be kept hot enough to control harmful bacteria such as Legionella, so follow your national guidance and the manufacturer's advice rather than turning cylinders down too far.
• Fix dripping hot taps first, since they waste energy as well as water.

Should you get a water meter?

In places where households can choose between a flat rate and a meter, small households with modest use often pay less with a meter, while large households may not. Many water companies offer online calculators to estimate whether a meter would save money, and some allow you to switch back within a set period if it does not. Check the rules where you live.

Help with water bills

Some water companies and governments run social tariffs, payment plans or capped bills for low-income households, people with large families or people with medical conditions that require high water use. If you are struggling with water bills, ask your supplier what support is available.

Getting children involved

Children are often enthusiastic water savers once they understand why it matters. A few ideas that work well in family homes:

• A shower timer or song. Pick a favourite song and finish the shower before it ends.
• A "water detective" job. Ask a child to check taps for drips and report any toilet that keeps running.
• Rainwater for the garden. Let children water plants with a watering can filled from the water butt.
• Brushing teeth with the tap off. A simple reminder sticker by the bathroom sink works surprisingly well.

Making water saving a shared household habit, rather than a rule enforced by one person, tends to make it last.

Reusing water safely

Some water can be reused around the home and garden. Cool water from washing vegetables or waiting for the hot tap to run warm is ideal for plants. "Grey water" from baths and showers can be used on ornamental plants in some situations, but avoid using it on edible crops, do not store it for long because it can grow bacteria, and avoid water containing strong cleaning products. Never reuse water from toilets or from washing nappies. Local guidance may give more detail on what is safe and permitted where you live.

A water-saving checklist

1. Check your meter for hidden leaks.
2. Test the toilet with food colouring.
3. Fix dripping taps and running toilets.
4. Ask your water company for free water-saving devices.
5. Fit an efficient shower head or tap aerators where compatible.
6. Aim for shorter showers.
7. Turn off the tap while brushing teeth.
8. Run the dishwasher and washing machine only when full.
9. Install a water butt and water the garden early or late.
10. Insulate hot-water pipes.

The bottom line

Saving water is less about sacrifice than about stopping waste. Find leaks, fit inexpensive efficient fittings, and adjust a handful of habits in the bathroom, kitchen and garden. Because so much household water is heated, the savings show up on both your water and energy bills — and the household hardly notices the difference.