Website of the UK government

Why saving water at home is important

Although the UK is an island, there is less water available per person in the UK than in France, Italy or Greece. Water used in homes comes from rivers, lakes and wetlands. Lower natural water levels can threaten the wildlife that depends on these places for their survival.

Treating, transporting and heating domestic water also uses a lot of energy, which adds to your fuel bills, and contributes to climate change.

• More on waste and resource use

• Why save water? Opens new window

Turn off the taps

Leaving a tap running while you are cleaning your teeth, or washing fruit and vegetables can waste about nine litres of water a minute. Instead of letting water and money go down the drain, here are some ways to cut down on wastage:

• save the cold water that comes through before a tap runs hot, and use it to water plants
• keep a jug of water in the fridge instead of waiting for the tap to run cold
• turn off the taps when you're brushing your teeth or shaving
• wash fruit and vegetables in a washing-up bowl full of water instead of under a running tap

Another way to reduce your water use is to fit aerator or spray ends to washbasin taps. An aerator mixes air with water and can reduce water consumption by up to 50 per cent.

For more ideas on how to save water, visit the Act on CO2 website.

• Water saving tips from the Act on CO2 website Opens new window

Flush less water down the toilet

Most water companies provide 'hippos' free for their customers 

Toilet flushing accounts for about a third of household water usage. You probably flush away as much water in a day as you drink in a whole month. There are easy ways to reduce this:

• install a water displacement device (or 'hippo') in the cistern of a higher flush toilet – these reduce the amount of water used for each flush, typically by one or two litres
  
• when buying a new toilet, choose a water-saving, low-flush or dual-flush version
  
• fit a variable flushing device to existing higher flush toilets - this will give you a choice of flush volumes to help save water
  
• throw cotton wool, sanitary products and other waste in the bin, not the toilet

• Water-efficient toilets and preventing leaks Opens new window

• Products (including hippos) to help reduce toilet water wastage Opens new window

Take shorter showers

A quick shower can use much less water than a bath. However, not all showers are water efficient. High volume power showers can use more water than a bath in less than five minutes.

To save water, you could use a shower timer to reduce your time in the shower. One minute off your shower time, for a family of four would save 12,000 litres of water a year.

You can also fit a water flow regulator to your shower head. This can reduce the amount of water you use by 30 per cent without reducing the performance of your shower.

• Saving water when washing Opens new window

Use water-efficient appliances

Half-load cycles use much more than half the energy and water of a full load

The amount of water consumed by dishwashers and washing machines varies greatly.

All new dishwashers and washing machines have a European (EU) energy label, which tells you how efficient the appliance is at using water and energy. A is most efficient and G is least efficient, so choosing carefully can save you money, water and energy. You could also:

• look for a washing machine that uses less than 50 litres per wash
• look for a dishwasher that uses less than 15 litres per wash
• try to use appliances only when they’re full - half-load cycles use much more than half the energy and water of a full load

• UK dishwashers ranked by water efficiency Opens new window

• UK washing machines ranked by water efficiency Opens new window

• Advice on water-efficient appliances Opens new window

Fix dripping taps and leaks

A dripping tap can waste up to 15 litres of water a day. Water leaks mean you are paying for water you haven't used, and they can also cause a lot of damage to your property, and possibly to neighbouring properties.

These simple plumbing jobs can save a lot of water without being expensive:

• fix dripping taps or overflows; a new washer costs just a few pence and can be fitted in minutes
• install a leak detector to warn you about leaks anywhere in your house
• put lagging on your outside pipes to help avoid burst pipes and leaks in winter

Your water company will be able to advise you on the cost of a leak detector and how to fit one.

• Spray taps - more information Opens new window

Make use of greywater and rainwater

Any water that has been used in the home, except water from toilets, is called greywater. Shower, bath and washbasin water can be re-used in the garden. Guidelines for doing this include:

• only watering non-edible plants with greywater
• making sure it is cool before you use it
• avoiding pouring it straight on to foliage

You can also collect rainwater to use in your house for flushing toilets, washing the car, watering plants or even for the washing machine.

For this you will need a large rainwater harvesting system. This must be linked to your domestic plumbing. More advice on rainwater harvesting can be found on the Renewable Energy Centre website.

• Advice on reusing greywater and collecting rainwater Opens new window

• Rainwater harvesting information from the Renewable Energy Centre website Opens new window

Save water in the garden

A garden hose can use more water in an hour than a family of four uses in a day. Some simple ways of saving water in the garden include:

• using a watering can rather than a hose – this will make a huge difference to the amount of water you use in your garden 
  
• buying a water butt to collect rain water - you’ll save mains water and the energy used to treat it

• More about saving water in the garden

More useful links

• Report road flooding or burst water mains (home and community section)

• Watch an energy or water saving video Opens new window

• List of products that use water efficiently - Waterwise Opens new window

• Ways to conserve water in buildings Opens new window

• Find your water company Opens new window