Over the last 30 years water consumption in the UK has increased by a whopping 70% and this is largely attributed to a changing lifestyle and the desire for luxury living.

However, it is fair to say that water has also become a far more sustainable resource in that time but there is still plenty of scope to reduce wastage and reduce the general level of consumption without impacting too much on our lifestyles.

One of the major offenders of wasteage in the bathroom is the WC. 1950’s WCs use approximately 13 litres of water per flush in comparison to todays 6 litre/4 litre split loos. Of the 45 million WCs in the UK over 7 million are still 1950’s and the vast majority offer the conventional 9 litre flush - so it is clear to see that if we were to all change just the WC's in our homes there would be a massive saving to the environment (and our pockets!!)


Take a shower, and do your bit for the environment.
A typical bath will consume approximately 100 litres of water compared to a 5 minute shower (averaging 9 litres per minute) which uses 45 litres of water – that’s a massive saving of 55% making the shower an economical alternative.

If you enjoy a soak, and don’t want to get rid of your bath entirely there are now low capacity baths available which can save 15-28% of water over a standard bath, and when allowing for the average adult displacement of water it is only necessary to fill the bath 2/3 to overflow for a luxurious soak.


Don't get confused with Power Showers.
Power showers are also major offenders and can consume upwards of 20 litres/min. making them as bad if not worse than a bath in terms of water consumption.

And to top it off, they do not actually get you any cleaner than a standard shower with most of the water being wasted, because when a heavy water droplet hits the body at speed most of it bounces off and goes down the drain.

An aerated shower head can help to reduce water consumption by up to 60% by replacing the centre of the water droplet with air. This has the effect of lightening the droplet which allows it to travel faster and further from the showerhead nozzle giving the feel of an invigorating shower. The outside of the droplet wraps around the body with very little splashing, and you get just as wet and just as clean but with a far lower, far more efficient water consumption.

Percussion taps can also prove to be very effective in cloakrooms and bathrooms in ensuring taps are not left running, and because they can now be manually set to run for specific times they are also very versatile. Plus, style is no longer an issue as there are many different designs to choose from.

So, the next time you visit the bathroom take a moment to consider how much water (and money) you could save.