I'm a bathroom expert – five tips to save £100's on your water bill every year | The Sun
WITH the cost of living increasing, there has never been a better time to save hundreds by reducing your water usage at home.
A Bathroom design expert has his top tricks to cut down on your water usage and your utility bills.
There are several water-saving methods which can be implemented around the home, some of them ranging from simple tricks while others require you to install new fixtures and fittings.
From using a duel flush toilet to changing your shower head, we list which methods can save you cash in the long-run.
It's also worth assessing if fitting a water meter could cut your bills – some can save over £200 a year by doing so.
Matthew Besley, a bathroom design expert from Bathroom Supastore in Merthyr Tydfil gives an in-depth analysis on how households across the country can cut their water bills.
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Switch to a duel flush system – save £100 a year
Many modern toilet systems come with a duel flush option but many users don't know how much of a difference they can make to water usage in the home.
The reason why your toilet system comes with a duel flush system is for water conservation.
The large flush can use 6 to 9 litres at a time, whereas the small flush uses less water, coming in at 3 to 4 litres.
The large flush should be used for solid waste while the small flush for liquid waste.
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Matthew said that using the correct flush could save you 50-60% of the water every use.
Matthew said: "With the bathroom being one of the most used rooms in the home, naturally there is going to be a lot of wasted water.
"The trick of installing a duel flush system or simply knowing when to use the different flushes is a simple way of saving water and money."
"If you have an old toilet system that doesn't have a duel flush system and you can't afford to replace your toilet, another alternative is to use a Save-a-Flush style bag that replaces some of the water in your cistern so you use less water per flush."
However, it's important to check whether your duel flush system isn't leaking water into the bowl – if so it could end up costing you more each year.
Using a bathwater barrier – save £100 a year
Bath time for most parents can be a nightmare and that's without thinking of how much water and money is being wasted when you need to fill a full bath.
It’s not just the cost of running the bath water you need to consider, there’s also the cost of the energy to heat it.
However, with a bath water barrier you don't need to fill your entire bath for your small children.
Matthew said: "With an average bath using around 100 litres of water it can be a giant waste of resources as no small child will need to fill the length of the bath.
"A bath barrier can be set so just enough room is given to the child and it requires less water to fill. Using a bath barrier could save you 50 litres per bath."
Get a low-pressure shower head – save £90 a year
Taking a shower is more water efficient than running a bath and replacing your shower head could save you over £90 a year.
Energy Saving Trust said that replacing your shower head with a water efficient one could save a four-person household as much as £38 a year on gas for water heating, as well as a further £53 a year on their water bills.
That’s enough to generate a total annual saving of around £91.
Mathew said "Low flow fixtures as the name would suggest reduce the flow of water coming out of your fixtures and as a result reduce water wastage. You can purchase low flow taps, shower heads and even toilets."
Keep the tap off – save £60 a year
You can even cut your water bills when you're brushing your teeth.
If you brush your teeth for 2 minutes and let the tap run you could use over 12 litres of water – which could cost you over £60 a year.
Only using the tap to clean your brush and the sink will use a fraction of that.
Energy Saving Trust also recommends you only use cold water here to stop your boiler from unnecessarily firing up for a few minutes.
Mathew said, "When brushing your teeth only use the tap to clean your brush and to clean the sink after use rather than leaving it running."
Consider fitting a water meter – save £100's a year
Moving to a water meter could could help some save some extra cash.
One mum more than halved her water bill after getting a meter – saving over £200 a year.
Obviously if you do use a lot of water then it makes no sense to have a meter as your bills could go UP.
The Consumer Council for Water offers a free water meter calculator that'll tell you if you can save by fitting a water meter.
For example, if you have a big family and more people than bedrooms or simply use lots of water intensive appliances like washing machines or dishwashers, a fixed fee will be better for you.
Having a water meter doesn't help with the standard charge that's based on where you live either, but it can help you cut down the costs of your personal usage at home.
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What water bill help is available?
Right now, water companies offer a range of support to struggling households, including a cap on bills for large families and those with certain medical conditions through the WaterSure scheme.
To qualify for the scheme you need to already have a water meter installed, and prove you need to use a lot of water.
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