Whether you have a water meter or not, cutting your water usage is something everyone should strive to do. Not only can it save you money on your bills, but it can help the environment too. Many rivers in England and Wales are at risk of drying out and the more water that is used in homes, businesses and farms the less is leftover for our rivers which are often homes to amazing wildlife.
One of the best ways to start your water conservation journey is to contact your water company. Many providers will help you out by providing free water saving devices. However, if you can’t get one for free then you can usually purchase one online for just a nominal price. Devices like shower timers, tap inserts, water saving shower heads and cistern displacement devices can all help.
If you aren’t already on a water meter, then you can ask your water company to install one. Without monitoring your water usage you’ll have no idea how much you use and whether or not your water saving steps are working or not. You may even find to your surprise that you are using much more than makes sense to you, in which case there may be a leak that once fixed could save you lots of money.
Next, get yourself acquainted with one of the many water saving apps out there available for both android and iOS phones. They can log your water use and show you ways to save on water. Simply search for ‘water saving’ or ‘water efficiency’ on your app store.
Sometimes saving water is as simple as changing your daily habits. For instance, turning the tap off while you brush your teeth can save as much as 13 litres of water every single day. Taking brisk showers instead of baths can help too, and even shortening your shower by a single minute can save up to seven litres of water. You can also save money in your daily routines by using a half-flush wherever you can.
Everyone’s heard of the dreaded hosepipe ban. The reason hosepipes attract so much attention from water conservationists is that they use an inordinate amount of water – as much as 16 litres every minute it is in use - whereas the humble watering can use far less. If you really want to save on water in the garden, then try and choose plants which are less water hungry and need less maintenance and install a water butt which can collect rain water to use on your plants.
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