SOAKING in a hot bath can be the perfect way to unwind at the end of a stressful day.
But at a time when household bills are soaring, relaxing in the tub is fast becoming an expensive habit.
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We take a look at how much it could be costing you to run a bath each day and how much it could be adding to your household bills.
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.
The Energy Saving Trust estimates that around 12% of a typical gas-heated household’s energy bills comes from heating water for baths, showers and hot water from the tap.
With millions of households facing a record £139 increase in their energy bills from 1 October, and water bills having also jumped by up to £36 a year, many families are now looking for ways to cut costs.
Below, we crunch the numbers to show how much having a bath could cost you and the steps you can take to slash bills.
How much does it cost to run a bath?
The cost of running a bath will depend on several factors including your water and energy supplier, the temperature of the bath water and how deep you run it.
But data from The Bathroom Showroom reveals that on average, running a large bath (300 litres) will cost households £2.80 per day.
For those families running a bath on a daily basis, that means spending £86.76 a month, or an eye-watering £1,012.57 per year.
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This compares to an annual cost of £758.77 in 2021.
For families running a small bath (100 litres), the cost is lower at 93p per day.
But that’s still an extra £28.92 on your monthly bills, or a total of £340.52 each year.
How to reduce your bill
There are a number of steps you can take to cut the cost of running a bath.
Households that only take a soak every two days rather than daily can trim their annual bills to £510.79 for a large bath, or £170.26 for a small bath.
Meanwhile, the Energy Saving Trust has worked out that swapping just one bath a week with a four-minute shower could shave £12 a year off your energy bills and £7 a year off your water bills.
To maximise savings, showers must be kept short and households should also invest in a water-efficient shower head.
A harder working shower head could save a family of four around £100 on their gas and water bills combined, says the Energy Saving Trust.
Martyn Bridges, director of technical services at Worcester Bosch, adds: “A typical bath requires about 90 litres of water, split between 60 litres or so of hot water and 20 to 30 of cold.
“A normal thermostatic mixer shower head discharges about nine litres a minute, requiring about six litres of hot and three litres of cold.
“So, providing you shower in less than 10 minutes, it will be more economical to shower.”
Ways to enjoy your bath for less
Further savings can be made by braving a cooler bath as this will cut the cost of heating the water.
It’s also wise to put the plug in the bath while waiting for the water to heat up, as this can take as long as a minute.
According to Drench.co.uk, households could waste as much as 10 litres of water if the plug is not in.
Keeping your drain plugged and adjusting the temperature while the bath runs could save you £37.95 each year.
Taking a shallower bath will also mean less water is used.
This can be particularly beneficial when bathing children who are unlikely to stay in the tub for long.
If you tend to overfill your bath and you’re thinking of replacing it, consider investing in a more eco-friendly tub.
Bath supplier Luna Spas, for example, sells a range of eco whirlpool baths that use up to 31% less water.
These eco-baths are shallower than traditional baths, although they don’t noticeably look smaller, and they are designed with a deeper angle on the back due reduce the volume of water used.
Sharing bath water will save money too – though this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
Speaking of tea, Brits are said to drink almost 36 billion cups of it per year, which means it’s a good idea to know how much it costs to boil a kettle each time.
And, if you’re thinking about buying a hot tub before the summer completely disappears, we tell you exactly how much a hot tub could set you back.
