Free & impartial energy advice for anyone in Fife

Using water wisely

by |Published

Each person living in Scotland uses on average, 150 litres of water every single day. We can often take water for granted and tend not to think about how much water we use. Surprisingly, however, less than 1% of rainwater ends up somewhere Scottish Water can access. It’s not as plentiful as you might think.

While we are not metered for our water in Scotland, there is a cost associated with it. Around 1/5th of the average household energy bill is spent on heating water, so using your water wisely can help cut your energy costs as well as reduce the water you use.

 

In the Bathroom

Taps aff

It seems simple, but remembering to turn the tap off when brushing your teeth or other similar activities. You don’t necessarily need to keep the bath running but can put the plug in the sink if you need too.

 

Choosing a shower or a bath

If you want to get washed quickly, jumping in and out the shower will use less water than the bath and help you to save energy too.

However if you do want a leisurely relaxing time in the bathroom you should choose to have a bath over a shower, as this will use less water than leaving the shower running for a long time, and save you money too.

 

Shorter showers

Choosing a shower? Make sure to be in for as short a time as possible. While it’s recommended to take a four-minute shower, it’s not also acheivable so every minute you can cut down helps. Taking a 4 minute shower could save an average home around £45 a year in energy costs from heating hot water.

 

Energy efficient showerheads

If you can you should install an energy-efficient shower head on your which helps to limit the flow of water.

 

In the Kitchen

Mind the kettle

When making a cup of tea or coffee you should be considerate to avoid overfilling it. If you boil water you’re not going to use, it’s used extra energy that is being wasted.

Instead you could save around £10 a year by only filling the kettle with as much as is needed.

 

Washing the dishes

When washing up your dishes in the sink you should aim to use a basin rather than allowing the tap to run and waste water.

If you have a dishwasher you should wait till you have a full load before running it and make sure to use any eco settings on the appliance.

 

Doing the Laundry

How you use your washing machine is important, wait till the washing machine is full before you use it instead of doing several small loads throughout the day. You should also set the temperature to 20°C or 30°c – this can save 40% on energy used each year.

 

Elsewhere around the home

In you garden, you could consider installing a water butt to collect rain water for watering your garden and plants. If you use a dehumidifier indoors to help manage moisture and humidity you can add the extra water collected here too!

When considering mainteinance of your home you should be mindful to fix drips and leaks as soon as they appear.

 

Support from Cosy Kingdom

Are you needing advice or support around water use at home? Our energy advisors are here to help. Get in touch to arrange a free and impartial home visit from a member of the team.