Four simple bathroom swaps that could save you more than £300 on your water bill

SIMPLE swaps in the bathroom could stop you washing hundreds of pounds down the drain by wasting water.

Making four easy changes could save you more than £300 a year off your water bills, according to experts.

1

The average person spends almost £237 a year on showering and bathing, says bathroom firm Drench.

But some easy swaps could cut your costs.

It’s particularly important for households at the moment, with millions of people struggling in the cost of living crisis.

Energy bills, petrol prices and groceries are all going up – and are expected to increase further as inflation is set to hit 10% this year.

It means making any savings where you can could help ease the strain.

Here are four ways to save on water:

Speed up in the shower

We typically spend eight minutes in the shower. But cutting this to just four or five minutes can save up to £88 a year.

A Uswitch energy expert said: “Reducing the time you spend in the shower to just four minutes should cut the average household’s energy bills by £70 a year, estimates the Energy Saving Trust.

“It will also cut your water bills if you are on a meter.”

If you’re on certain tariffs, you could save even more by showering when energy is cheaper, such as a late in the evening.

Get a water-saving shower head

An aerator shower head could cut your showering costs in half.

These add air to the water flow, and use up to 50% less water as a result.

“They will save on your utility bills as well as reduce your carbon footprint,” said Drench bathroom expert Polly Shearer.

Alternatively, you can buy a flow regulator to screw onto your normal shower head, saving roughly five litres of water per minute.

Save when you shave

It takes two minutes to shave – but a simple mistake could mean you’re wasting money while you do it.

Leaving the tap running while you go to work with the razor could add £59 a year to your water bill.

Experts suggest filling the sink a small amount instead, and using that to rinse off your razor.

If you want to use even less water, you could fill a small jug instead of the sink.

Leaving the tap running while you clean your teeth will use an extra six litres of water every minute too – wasting 24 litres a day if you keep your teeth pearly white.

Plug the drain

Leaving the water running while you get it to that perfect temperature could prove a costly mistake.

If you’re filling the bath, make sure you get the drain plugged up straight away.

By plugging the drain while you wait for the water to heat up, you’ll save almost £40 a year – and once the hot water comes through, it’ll warm up the cooler bit at the bottom of the tub.

You’ll save around 10 litres of water per bath with this strategy.

What help can I get with water bills? 

There is help available if you’re struggling with your bills.

A good first step is to install a water meter if you don’t already have one.

If you have more bedrooms in your home than there are people living there, this could save you hundreds every year.

Martin Lewis has previously explained why this works – it’s because your water company will estimate your usage based on the size of your house, not how many people live there.

The Consumer Council for Water, as well as other companies like Bristol Water and Northumbrian Water, have water usage calculators to help you work out how much you are likely to pay. 

Many water companies run special schemes to help you pay your bills, and you could get up to £800.

Check with the Consumer Council for Water or ask your water company if you’re eligible. 

It could also be worth checking if you’re eligible for benefits such as Universal Credit which could help cover essentials bills.

Charities such as Turn2Us offer free online tools to help you check.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk