Top 12 Tips on How to Save Water at Home

Earth may often be referred to as the blue planet, but less than 1% of freshwater is accessible for us to use in a domesticated environment. This is just one of the many reasons why we must conserve water at home. 

Overusing water not only costs more if you have a water meter installed in your home, but it also greatly impacts the environment. Depleting the freshwater sources can harm aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity, so by saving water at home we can make an impact and help to minimise the strain on natural ecosystems and help to protect wildlife habitats. 

It’s easy to think that you alone can’t have that much of an impact on the environment as a whole by reducing the amount of water you use at home, but typically the average person in England will use a staggering 142 litres of water a day, so by making small changes and tweaks you can have an impact. If you manage to cut your water use by 20 litres each day, you can save a massive 7,300 litres of water every year. 

Whilst governments and water companies can have the biggest impact on freshwater usage, reducing household water consumption can still have a positive impact. 

Here are our top tips on how to save water at home: 

Check for leaks 

Regularly check for leaks under the sink, any drips when the tap is completely off, and in toilets too. Check with your water provider as they can sometimes offer free ‘leak strips’ which stick in the toilet bowl and give you an indication of whether your toilet is leaking water. Surprisingly, fixing a leaky toilet is easily done. 

Fit low-flow aerators 

Consider fitting low-flow aerators to your taps and showers. These simple and rather cheap adaptors aerate the water supply, meaning you get the same water pressure but use less water. Check with your water company, as some offer these for free. 

Install a dual-flush 

Dual-flush toilet systems save a considerable amount of water. A single-flush toilet typically uses around 13 litres of water per flush, while a dual-flush system will usually use 6 litres or 4 litres with the reduced flush. This allows you to significantly reduce your water usage without sacrificing performance. 

Turn off taps 

Turn off the tap when you’re brushing your teeth. A running tap can use a staggering nine litres of water per minute. 

Switch to showers 

Where you can, switch to taking a shower rather than a bath. Typically a five-minute shower will use roughly 40 litres of water, which is roughly half the volume of a standard bath. Get an egg timer in the shower so you can keep an eye on how long you spend in there too. 

Turn the sprinklers off 

Turn your sprinklers off in the garden to save roughly 33% of water compared to manual watering. During the summer, it’s also best to water your plants either early in the morning or late in the evening. This stops the warm sun from evaporating all of the water. 

Fill up the dishwasher 

Using a dishwasher instead of handwashing your plates, pans, and cutlery can save an amazing 6,000 litres of water every year. You can also save a further 1,000 litres if you don’t pre-rinse your dishes. Another way you can save water is to ensure that the dishwasher is full before you start a wash. 

Do a full load 

Similarly to a dishwasher, you want to ensure that you’ve got a full load before you start a cycle for your washing machine. 

Collect and reuse water 

Consider installing a water butt in your garden and use this collected water to water your plants and grass. These can save you around 5,000 litres of water every year. What’s more, plants will prefer rainwater as opposed to treated tap water. 

Boil only what you need 

When filling the kettle, only add what you need. This will reduce water wastage and cut back on energy consumption. 

Cook with water wisely 

Rather than boiling your vegetables, steam them to save water. If boiling, you can also use lids to stop water from being evaporated. Another way to save water when cooking is to use leftover water to make stock or let it cool and water plants with it. 

Landscape wisely 

If you’re adding new plants to your garden, you might want to consider buying drought-tolerant plants, so they’ll last longer during droughts. You can also use mulch to retain water in your bedding areas. 

If you have a water meter in your home, each of these tips will help you reduce water use and, therefore, the amount you pay each month. However, even if you don’t have a water meter, using these tips will help you cut down on your energy bills, too. 

Furthermore, by saving water at home, you’ll reduce the amount of damaging greenhouse gases you release into the atmosphere. 

We must take these small steps in saving water, as your actions can help to preserve this essential resource for generations to come. 

If you have any more water-saving tips to share, please comment below. Together, we can reduce water usage.