Saving water in everyday life
Saving water in everyday life
Make small changes today to start saving water and energy.
Water is a vital part of our lives - but it also has a big impact on our energy bills. Using water wisely will help you save energy and money – and will help protect the environment too. Read on to learn more about why water is always worth saving.
Why is it important to save water at home?
Around one sixth of the average household’s energy use goes on heating water – for example, on showering, bathing and washing up dishes. If you live in a rural area that’s not connected to the gas network, your costs could be even higher.
That’s why using water wisely at home will help you reduce your energy bills. And, if you have a hot water cylinder, being smarter with your water use will make sure you have enough for those important household tasks.
It’s not just about saving money, though – reducing water waste helps to protect the environment. In dry weather our water reserves can drop rapidly leaving communities at risk of water shortages. With climate change, drier and warmer summers are set to become more common, which means water will become even more precious. By avoiding water waste, you could be helping to ensure that there is enough water for everyone, whatever the weather.
Using less water also means reducing the energy needed to treat, pump and heat water, which helps to cut our carbon emissions and protect our environment.
Learn more about why water is always worth saving on Scottish Water’s website.
Make small changes to start saving water and money
There are lots of quick, easy and inexpensive ways you can save water, energy and money.
You’ll save water and energy if you only boil as much water as you need – and you’ll save time waiting for the kettle to boil too!
If you wash your laundry at eco or 30 degrees when you can, you'll save money and carbon because less energy is used to heat the water. Always make up a full load to reduce the number of loads and the energy you use.
Only use the dishwasher when it’s full to reduce the number of times you run it. Don’t overfill it – you can find tips online about how to load it properly - and consider using the eco setting. You can let the items air dry at the end too.
Spending less time in the shower saves money. Using a shower timer can help you do this. Switching off the water when you’re conditioning your hair or shaving can help to cut the time too. If everyone in your household does this, the savings really add up, especially if you have an electric shower.
Don’t leave taps running – you could be wasting over ten litres a minute leaving your bathroom tap running! If you’re running the hot tap, that’s a lot of wasted energy too.
In the bathroom, turn off your taps when you’re brushing your teeth. In the kitchen, use a bowl to wash dishes or vegetables. Fitting a kitchen tap aerator reduces the flow of water and could save 10,000 litres of water every year.
The typical Scottish roof collects between 45,000 and 90,000 litres of water each year. Use a water butt to collect some of this water and use this instead of running the garden tap. Plus, there’s more nitrogen in rainwater, which will help your plants to thrive.
Use a watering can instead of a hose for your plants – not only will it use less water, but it’s more accurate and will get the water to where you need it most. Watering your plants early in the morning or the evening also helps to reduce evaporation.
If you’re washing the car, use a bucket and sponge instead of a hosepipe to reduce the amount of water you use.
Get free advice on how to save water at home
We’re working in partnership with Scottish Water to help households save water. You could also be eligible for free water-saving packs to help you save water and energy.
If you’d like advice on how to save water and energy, contact us today.
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