Water way to spend your summer

Why does saving water matter? Even if it may not appear in short supply, using less water means reducing energy use.

If you’re on a water meter, following some simple guidelines could also save you a bob or two. The Society has gathered ‘top ten tips’ from our friends at The Eden Project to help you spend less this summer:

1 Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth. This can save six litres of water per minute.

2 Place a cistern displacement device in your toilet cistern to reduce the volume of water used in each flush.

3 Take a shorter shower. Showers can use anything between six and 45 litres per minute.

4 Always use full loads in your washing machine and dishwasher. This cuts out unnecessary washes in between.

5 Fix a dripping tap. A dripping tap can waste 15 litres of water a day, or 5,500 litres of water a year.

6 Install a water butt to your drainpipe. Use the water collected to water your plants, clean your car and wash your windows.

7 Water your garden with a watering can rather than a hosepipe. A hosepipe uses 1,000 litres of water an hour.

8 Fill a jug with tap water and place this in your fridge. This will mean you don’t have to leave the tap running for the water to run cold before you fill your glass.

9 Install a water meter. When you’re paying your utility provider for exactly how much water you use, laid out in an itemised bill, there’s an incentive to waste less of the stuff.

10 Invest in water-efficient goods when you need to replace household products.