WATER bills are rising as much as 10.8% from April – but some simple tips could help you cut your costs.
The price hikes are adding more pressure to households already struggling to cope with a cost of living crisis, which has seen energy bills, petrol prices and more shoot up in recent months.
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Water firms have blamed the increases on inflation – and customers will see their bills go up by as much as £36 depending on where they live.
Customers of Northumbrian Water are facing the biggest hike of almost 11%, and Severn Trent customers will see an increase of 7.1%.
While customers of some other companies will actually see average bills fall slightly, the need to control costs and reduce bills is causing widespread concern.
Nigel Wheeler, boss of Aquaphor (Water filters) UK, comes from Newark, Nottinghamshire, where he says the water quality is hard, with greater than average lime-scale deposits.
Here are his tips to get the best out of your water supply while cutting down costs – plus, we round up ways you can get help paying water bills if you’re struggling.
Change the way you wash up
Getting into good habits will save water and save you money, says Nigel.
“Starting by recycling water,” he says. “After you’ve used a bowl of water to rinse food items, use it to water house plants.”
When it comes to washing dishes, be sure you turn the tap off. If you’re doing it in the sink, leaving it running will add £25 to your annual bill.
You can cut down on washing-up by only using one glass for drinking water throughout the day, he says.
And if you have a dishwasher, only run it when it’s fully loaded to save both water and electricity.
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“When it needs replacing, look for a model with a high Energy Star rating.”
You can save up to 1,000 gallons of water a month by only running a washing machine during full-load cycles.
“And you can save on water and electricity by skipping the hot water washing cycle. Cold water cleanses clothes just as well,” he says.
If you reduce the number of washing machine cycles you do by one a week, you’ll save £5 a year.
And washing at 30C not 60C will save £16 more if you do two loads a week.
Take shorter showers
Cut down shower time to conserve water. “Even cutting your shower time by one or two minutes will allow you to save 150 gallons per month,” says Nigel.
“If you keep your shower time less than five minutes, you can save up to 1,000 gallons of water per month.”
Energyhelpline.com estimates the annual cost of a daily bath is £300, compared to £230 if you shower instead – a saving of £70 a year.
Low-flow or intelligent shower heads can also make the daily shower more water efficient and shallower baths also help.
“When brushing your teeth or shaving, don’t let the tap run. All that water is just being wasted. Use a basin or a glass of water instead.”
Check your garden hose
Nigel’s water-saving habits extend to outdoors too, in gardens and your car.
“Instead of using a pressurised hose to wash your car, use a bucket of water instead,” he says.
A rain barrel in your garden can be a great help as it can harvest rainwater from gutters, which can be used to water garden flowers or grass.
Regularly check hoses, connectors and taps for leaks too.
“If you are using a faulty hose, you could be wasting gallons of water every time you use it,” says Nigel.
And if you have pets that need a bath, doing it outside in the garden can help you save water – as the grass can get a watering at the same time.
Use a water filter
Nigel reckons anyone using a water filter jug at home instead of splashing out on bottled water will save between £2.50 and £5 a day.
Teas and coffee will taste better too, he says: “Use filtered water in your kettle or coffee machine and it will remove the limescale and last longer, saving you the cost or replacing items so quickly.
“Using filtered water for ice cubes removes the chlorine to make a G&T taste even better.”
When we checked, you could get a simple water filter jug from Argos or Wilko for around £11.
Installing a water softener may also improve the efficiency of your heating – and give you softer clothes, he says.
Get help paying your bills
Water companies are encouraging customers to get in touch if they need help paying their bills.
Already a million households get help, and rising bills mean the number is expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2025, according to Water UK.
There is a wide range of support available for those in need.
The WaterSure scheme helps people on benefits with school age children or who need water for medical reasons.
Some water suppliers offer social tariffs which cap the cost of water while others have special schemes targeting vulnerable people.
Severn Trent, for instance, offers a reduction of water bills to any customer with a household income below £16,385.
Anglian Water offers customers support with their bills if they are recovering from an illness or going through other life changes affecting their finances.
Ask your own supplier what schemes it has or check CCW’s round-up of the different help available.
Get a water meter
If you have more bedrooms in your home than people living there, it’s likely you could save money by installing a water meter.
Martin Lewis recently urged households to check whether they should get a meter to save as much as £500 a year.
The average saving after getting a meter is £200 a year, according to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW).
Most water companies will let you trial a meter for up to two years and you can switch back for free if you’re unhappy.
Get freebies from your water company
Many water companies will give you free water-saving devices that could help to cut your bills.
These might include a shower timer, which reminds you to turn the water off while you’re rinsing off.
You could also get a buffalo bag, which you put in your toilet cistern to use less water when you flush.
Contact your supplier or check out savewatersavemoney.co.uk.
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