North West families could save £1,270 a year by using less water and energy

As the cost of living continues to put pressure on household bills, figures show that families in the North West of England could save around £1,270 a year if they can reduce their use of water at home.

Figures from the north-west region’s water company United Utilities and the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) reveal how using less hot water has the added benefit of lowering energy bills too.

Around 16% of a household’s energy bill is from heating water, which means that making a number of small changes throughout the home can add up to a big reduction in bills, helping to ease the burden on over-stretched finances.

According to data from CCW, a family of four with a water meter could see huge potential savings by:

• Reducing each person’s daily shower from 10 minutes to 5 minutes – £740
• Cutting out two dishwasher runs per week by only running with full loads – £76
• Cutting out two washing machine runs per week by only running with full loads – £37
• Fixing a leaking toilet – £300
• Turning off the tap while brushing teeth – £100
• Fixing a dripping tap – £17

The total potential saving for a four-person household on a meter could be a staggering £1,270.

Emma Birch, Head of Customer Propositions at United Utilities, said:

Many people don’t make the connection between saving water and saving money on their energy bills. The average shower time is now nearly 10 minutes, which uses more water and energy than the average bath. Added to that is the time spent waiting for the water to heat up. We lose track of the time spent in the shower, because it just becomes a habit. Using a simple timer to cut back our shower time from 10 to 5 minutes will result in massive savings. All these small changes add up. When we heat water for the dishwater or washing machine, we’re paying for energy as well as the water, so making sure they’re full or fixing that dripping tap, will make a big difference to how much we pay. And, after one of the driest years on record, saving water will also really help to refill reservoirs in case we don’t get enough rain over autumn and winter for next year. We’ll need above average rainfall to get the levels back up, so saving water now will make all the difference.

Emma Clancy, Chief Executive of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), added:

It’s surprising how much money households can save on water and energy bills just by taking simple steps to use water wisely around the home. Every pound counts with the pressure on many households’ finances having reached boiling point and by creating a little less splash customers can save a lot of cash and help top up the north west’s water supplies after a prolonged dry summer.

If you’re a United Utilities customer, you’ll find water-saving tips and can order FREE water-saving goodies at www.unitedutilities.com/help-and-support/save-water/

Use CCW’s water meter calculator to see if you might be better off switching to a water meter.