First of all having a shower is generally always better than having a bath (energy and water wise), so good work getting that far as we know baths often can be more relaxing.
So the whole point of this post is because I’m sure we would all prefer to have money in our pockets than in the hands of a large water or heating company so here are a few tips that you should save you a few quid each month.
Using too much water
Solutions:
- Low Flow or Eco Water Saving Shower Heads will save you as much as 75% in water and you often won’t be able to tell the difference (can be free from water company), of course, check your existing shower head doesn’t have a function that reduces the water flow
- Turn off the shower whilst you apply soap / shampoo etc
- Install flow tap aerators and regulators (often free from water company)
- We all have the habit of turning the shower on and waiting for it to warm up, often we will start other tasks (brush teeth etc) consider buying an Evolve Thermostatic Switch, these turn off the water once they hit your desired temperature, which alerts you to your shower being ready. You can then step in and turn the switch on.
- Shower less – Consider washing with a cloth on a regular basis between showers and reducing those showers down to 2 or 3 per week
- Some power showers have flow controls, adjust these to reduce the amount of water being used
Reduce the time in the shower (average is 8 mins, get it to under 6 or 4 mins)
- Have a song that is 3-4 minutes long and play that, aim to finish your shower by the end of the song
- Grab an egg timer device (often free from water company) and try and ‘beat the clock’, you could also do the same with your phones countdown clock
Check the schedule of hot water
Depending on your heating system / boiler you might be able to set a schedule for when hot water is produced, do you really need hot water at 3am or whilst you’re at work?
Consider smart controls like the Nest Learning Thermostat or Hive Heating Controls – You can turn on/off the hot water when away from your house, setup schedules for when the water comes one etc.
Reduce the temperature your hot water comes out at
See if you can reduce the temperature of your hot water tank or boiler to around 48-60c – the lower the more money you will save, just ensure the water in your hot water storage tank is heated to at least 60c once per week (to remove any risk of Legionella bacteria).
Insulate your hot water tank and pipes
- Cover and wrap your hot water tank to keep in the heat, this will save as much as 80% of the heat
- Covering your pipes with insulation will reduce heat loss by as much as 75%
‘Re-using’ the shower water
- A little extreme in some people’s eyes but many people have a container (think washing up bowl sized) that is placed in the shower whilst the water heats up, this is then used to water plants or even flush your toilets!
- 80-90% of the heat from your shower ends up down the drain, so using a drain heat recovery unit you can use that heat to warm up the cold water before it hits the boiler/tank, rather extreme for most households but if you had a large family it would make financial sense.
Fix any leaks
A leak that drops every second would cost you as much as £0.69 per month. Some plumbers tape, assorted washers & an adjustable spanner will often save you calling out a plumber in most cases. YouTube how to fix most common leaks. Just make sure you know where your stop cock is located so you can turn off the water supply if you do cause a massive issue.
