| |
Top 8 tips to save money on your water bill
On average each person in the UK currently uses about 150 litres of water every day and much of this is wasted. To see how you can cut down on your water bill and water wasteage, read the following water saving tips.
- Get a water meter installed
- Check for leaks - Simply read your water meter,take a second meter reading after not using any water for a good few hours, if the reading is the same you areok, if not, there is a leak. Get this fixed as soon as you can, including any dripping tabs.
- Fit water saving device in your cistern to save when flushing, this can save you 3 litres a flush.
- Turn off the tap whilst washing your face, brushing your teeth or having ashave. Running the tab for1 minute can waste up to 9 liters of water.
- Take short (5 minutes or less) showers instead of a bath.
- Fill up the kettle only with the amount of water you really need. Overfilling your kettle will; take longer to boil, waste water and waste gas or electricity.
- Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full. Running half full machines just wastes energy and water.
- Keep a jug of cold water in the fridge. Not only will it be colder and nicer it will also take away the need to run water down the sink to have a cold drink.
|
|
| |
|
Water is a very precious resource that is often taken for granted. It is not as abundant as you might think. Of all the water in the world, only 3% is fresh. Less than one third of 1% of this fresh water is available for human use. The rest is frozen in glaciers or polar ice caps, or is deep within the earth, beyond our reach. To put it another way, if 100 litres represents the world's water, about half a tablespoon of it is fresh water available for our use. On average each person in the UK currently uses about 150 litres of water every day and much of this is wasted.
Water is not as abundant in England and Wales as you would think. We only have 1,334 cubic metres (m3) per person a year – much less than France with 3,065 m3 or even the hotter Mediterranean countries of Italy (2,785 m3) and Spain (2,775 m3). South East England has even less water per person due to its high population density and relatively low rainfall. The Thames Valley has only 266m3. With the average person in England and Wales using about 150 litres of water every day (mostly washing and toilet flushing) it is not hard to imagine that a drop in water levels will impact our daily lives considerably.
Dry winters have the biggest impact on water resources. Winter rain tops up groundwater supplies whilst summer rain only helps reduce water consumption as we don’t have to water our gardens or wash our cars. Saving water will make sure that the water we do get lasts. Water shortages don’t just affect us: they can also seriously harm our environment. Our water comes from rivers and groundwater so every drop we use has a direct effect on the environment. Fish, wetland birds and other wildlife that rely on ponds, rivers and streams struggle to survive when these dry up or run low. Sources of food and breeding sites for wildlife can be lost and fish can die through lack of oxygen.
The British Government hopes, through the introduction of water meters in 80% of English homes before 2020, to reduce the average personal water consumption from 149 liters a day down to 130 liters per person per day. Statistics have shows that homes with water meters use on average 15% less water than households without water meter. Households without a water meters are charged at the home's rateable value.
|
|
|
Consumer Council for Water |
| |
|
Top  Top tips to cut your water bill from the Consumer Council for Water. An Excel calculator to help customers work out how much they would pay on a metered charge is available on the Consumer Council for Water’s website. The Consumer Council for Water are the statutory consumer body representing water consumers, and keep in close contact with the companies that provide water and sewerage services, and with water consumers themselves, ensuring the water industry and associated organisations recognise the Consumer Council for Water as an informed, influential and effective consumer champion, making the water consumers’ collective voice heard in the water debate and that consumers remain at the heart of the water industry’s thinking.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 1 of 2 |
