In the kitchen
Approximately a quarter of household water is used in the kitchen. Use the tips below to help minimise water use.
Don’t over-fill your kettle, just boil the water you need each time.
Run your dishwasher when it is full and use the eco setting.
If you don’t have a dishwasher, fill a washing up bowl to wash up, rather than using a running tap. You can use the water captured in the bowl to water your garden when you have finished.
If you need to wash vegetables, fill a bowl with water and use the water in your garden or for your house plants when you have finished.
Keep a jug of water in the fridge so you have cold water ready to drink and don’t have to run your taps until the water runs cold.
Use your washing machine when you have a full load and use the most water efficient setting.
Repair leaks as quickly as possible.
Choose water efficient appliances where you can.
In the bathroom
Showers, toilets and baths accounts for about half of household water use. Use the tips below to help minimise water use.
Turn the taps off when you brush your teeth, this could save you approximately 6,000 litres of water a year!
Take showers rather than baths, typical baths use around 80 litres of water. Try to spend less time in the shower to save even more water.
Install a water saving shower head, a typical low-flow shower head uses around 6 litres per minute compared to standard shower heads which can use 10-15 litres per minute. Power showers can often use more water than baths.
Use the single flush function on your toilet if you have one, dual flush toilets use about 4-6 litres per flush while older models can use up to 13 litres. Consider installing a Cistern Displacement Device (CDD) to restrict the amount of water flushed if you have an older design of toilet, or upgrade to a water-efficient toilet.
Repair leaks as quickly as possible, a leaking toilet can waste up to 400 litres of water per day.
In the garden
Collect rainwater in water butts to water your plants.
Use watering cans to water your garden rather than sprinklers. Choose the best time to water your plants, watering in the morning and evening reduces evaporation, and watering the roots of your plants will avoid wasting water where the plants won’t need it.
If you need to use a hosepipe a trigger nozzle can help to reduce wastage.
Let your lawn go brown in hot weather, it will recover quickly once it rains.
Use mulch on flower beds to help retain moisture in the soil and reduce the need to water.
Wash your car using a bucket of water or a hose with a trigger nozzle.
Repair any leaking external taps
