Water bills are set to rise by 7.5% in April, and as UK residents gear up for yet another price hike, experts at Utility Bidder have revealed why water bills are increasing across the country and have shared five tips on how to lower your water usage.
James Longley, Managing Director at Utility Bidder said: “As the cost of living crisis continues to loom over the country, many people are hoping for some financial relief in the coming months, but sadly, it has been announced that water bills will rise to their highest levels in 20 years, meaning some households will be paying more than £440 a year.
“With water bills set to increase by 7.5% in April, it has led many people to ask why this is happening, when the cost of household bills is already so high. The main reason for the April increase is down to rising inflation rates, which is something we’re hearing a lot at the moment and although we can’t control these rising rates, we can limit our water usage to help reduce costs as much as possible.
“We can all make simple changes to our daily lives which will help to lower the amount of water we are using. From taking shorter showers to reducing the number of times you flush the toilet, these steps can have a big impact on the amount of water you’re using, which in turn, will help to reduce your bill.”
Five tips to help cut water bills
1 - Keep a bottle of water in the fridge
We all inevitably want to drink cold water, but when sourcing it from a tap, it can sometimes take a few seconds to get the water to your desired temperature. Even by just running the time for 5-10 seconds, you are potentially wasting several litres of water, so keep a bottle of water in the fridge to ensure you’re drinking cold water and not wasting any.
2 - Keep showering as short as possible
Most people opt for a shower over a bath due to it using less water and being more efficient, but it’s easy to get carried away, especially if you’re listing to music or enjoying the warm water. A 10-15 minute shower will roughly use the same amount of water as it would to run a bath, so try to keep your time in the shower between 3-5 minutes.
3 - Don’t use the toilet as a bin
Not only is flushing items such as cigarette butts, wipes and sanitary products down the toilet bad for the environment, but it can also cause a blockage within the pipes, as well as use a lot more water. Flushing a cigarette butt or face wipe down the toilet will use around 5-7 gallons of water, which is a huge waste, when these items should be disposed of in the bin anyway.
4 - Fix any leaks as soon as you notice them
A leak is one of the biggest culprits of water waste within the home, so spotting a leaky tap or a toilet pipe with a small area of damage could save you a large amount of money each year. A toilet with a leak that is left unfixed has the potential to waste up to 100 gallons of water each year, which goes to show how important it is to fix any leaks as soon as possible.
5 - Reduce the number of times you flush
Toilets that are not equipped with a dual flush setting use around 13 litres of water for each flush, which proves just how much water can be used in a household each day, especially with more people working from home. Although it may not appeal to some, it’s important to remember the saying “if it’s yellow let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down”. It may not work for many, but it can save you a lot of money in the long run.
