Water efficiency

What can I do today to start saving water?

Below are some tips of things you can start doing in your home or garden:

Top tips for your home

1. Vegetables and fruit should be washed in a bowl rather than under a running tap and the leftover water can be used for watering house plants.
2. Use the minimum amount of water required when you boil water in saucepans and kettles; that way, you will save energy as well as water.
3. Try keeping a bottle or jug of water in the fridge instead of running taps until the water runs cold.
4. Half-load programmes on dishwashers and washing machines use more than half the water and energy of a full load. Therefore, wait until you have a full load before switching the machine on.
5. Try not to leave the tap running while you brush your teeth, shave or wash your hands, as this can waste up to 5 litres of water per minute.
6. A 5-minute shower uses about a third of the water of a bath. But remember that power showers can use more water than a bath in less than 5 minutes.
7. Old toilet cisterns can use as much as 9 litres of clean water every flush. Reduce this by placing a save-a-flush or hippo in the cistern.
8. Cotton wool and tissues should be put in a waste bin rather than flushed down the toilet.
9. Dripping taps can waste up to 4 litres of water a day. Replace worn tap washers for a quick and cheap way of saving water.
10. Burst water pipes can cause serious damage as well as waste water. Ensure your water pipes and external taps are lagged in time for the cold winter months.

Top tips for the garden

1. Watering in the cool of the early morning or evening helps to reduce evaporation losses.
2. If plants and shrubs are watered too often they will remain shallow rooted, weakening the plant. Leave them alone until they show signs of wilting.
3. You can use a watering can to water plants with rainwater collected in water-butts. If you prefer to use a hosepipe, fit a trigger nozzle to control the flow.
4. Careful weeding and hoeing ensures that watering helps plants and not weeds.
5. Plant flowers and shrubs that thrive in hot and dry conditions such as thyme, evening primrose, rock rose, Californian poppy, pinks, lavender, buddleia and hebes.
6. Mulches such as wood chips, bark and gravel help to prevent water evaporation and also suppress weed growth, saving you both water and time spent weeding.
7. Lawns can survive long periods of dry weather if the grass is not cut too short.

Where can I find out more information?

You can find out more on the Energy Saving Trust website.

Page last reviewed 14 Feb 2008