Water-saving products
There are lots of ways you can waste less water in your home - using water-efficient products is an easy way to make a difference. With most of them, you won’t even notice that you’re using less water.
Water-efficient showerheads
New water-efficient showerheads use technology that can produce water flows that feel far higher than they actually are - an easy way to save both water and energy. They are most effective on power and mixer showers with a high flow rate. You should not low flow showerhead to an electric shower as this could cause possible dangerous damage to your shower unit.
Reduced-capacity baths
A standard bath has a capacity of around 80 litres, so even when it’s less than half full it uses a lot of water. If you’re buying a new bath, look for one with a lower capacity. Of course, you can always save water and money by taking a quick shower instead of a bath.
Water-efficient appliances
Looking to replace water-using appliances such as dishwashers or washing machines? Look for products with the new Water Efficient Product Label - the Waterwise Marque - and the Energy Saving Recommended mark, as these models can help you to save water, energy and money.
Low-flush and dual-flush toilets
About 30% of all water used in dwellings is flushed down the toilet every day. Low-flush and dual-flush toilets are designed to reduce the volume of water used for flushing. These systems use up to six litres less water per flush than an old-fashioned toilet – saving over 16,000 litres of water per year (enough to fill seven red telephone boxes).
Toilet retrofit and displacement devices
For a quick and easy way to waste less water with every flush without buying a new toilet, just install a dual-flush insert device. This can be easily retrofitted into your old cistern and will save up to 50% of water per flush. Or you could fit a hippo or a save-a-flush cistern displacement device which will save between one and three litres per flush. Both of these products are available free from many water companies.
Lower flow taps
Taps with a low flow rate can be fitted to bathroom and kitchen sinks. Click point taps are better for kitchen sink taps; aerated or regulated flow taps are more suitable for a bathroom sink; but all work very well.
Flow tap aerators and regulators
If you’re not replacing taps or shower units, you can still save water by fitting flow regulators to showers and aerators to taps. Flow devices are easy to install. They often contain precision-made holes, filters or flow aerators to regulate the flow of water without changing how it feels to you.
If you have an electric shower you should not fit a flow regulator as this could cause possible dangerous damage to your shower unit.
Water butts
If you have a garden and access to a drain you can save a significant amount of mains water by installing a water butt. Each year your roof collects around 85,000 litres of water - enough to fill 450 water butts a year. Contact your water company to see if you are eligible for a free water butt or can get a discount.
Hose trigger control
A running garden hose can use as much as a thousand litres of water in an hour. If there are tasks you just can’t use a watering can for, use a hose trigger control. That way you can direct water specifically to the areas in the garden that need it and cut your outdoor water usage.
Water efficiency labelling
To help you identify a product that is water-efficient, the Bathroom Manufacturers Association has recently launched the Water Efficiency Products Labelling Scheme. For more details of the label and help to find and compare products, visit the Water Efficient Product Labelling Scheme site.
To identify award-winning water-efficient products, look for the Waterwise Marque. Find out more at the Waterwise website.
