WIREDGOV

We are delighted to be supporting Big Energy Saving Week (BESW), which began yesterday. BESW is a national campaign to help people cut their energy bills and get all the financial support they are entitled to.

The theme of this year’s campaign is: check – switch – save, encouraging people to embrace the benefits of switching their energy supplier to secure a better deal. As household customers in England and Wales, we cannot switch our water supplier. But, there are lots of small and simple lifestyle switches we can all make that could really make a difference – helping to save money on our water and energy bills.

Does our water usage really impact our energy usage? It really does – according to Energy Saving Trust, about 15 per cent of a typical gas heated household’s heating bill comes from heating the water for showers, baths and (hot) taps; contributing an average of £80 a year to your energy bill. With this in mind, CCWater’s water-saving expert Ana-Maria Millan guides us through some of her favourite ways to save water and energy.

• For many households the most effective way to reduce their water bill is to ask their water company to install a water meter free of charge. It won’t benefit everyone, but as a general rule, if you have more bedrooms than people in your house, you could save money. Try our water meter calculator to see if you could be better by switching to a water meter.
• Switching to a water efficient shower head could save a family of four as much as £85 a year on their energy bills and also shave precious pounds off their water bill if the household has a water meter.
• Switch your daily bath to a daily shower and you’ll cut 30 per cent off your water usage. A bath typically uses about 80 litres of water, while a four-minute shower uses about 35 litres. You could save even more by keeping your shower to 4 minutes. Lots of water companies offer free shower timers. Also, there are dedicated playlists on streaming services containing ‘four-minute shower hits’.
• We are a nation of tea lovers – and coffee lovers too it would seem; collectively, around 235 million cups are drunk every day in the UK. While this may not be a great shock, it may surprise you to learn that according to Energy Saving Trust, two thirds of us admit to boiling more water than we need. Boiling only the water you need will not only save time but collectively we could save nearly £1 million a day in electricity savings!
• Wait until you have a full load before switching on your washing machine, and wherever possible, wash clothes on a cool wash, ideally 30 degrees.
• When doing the washing up, remember to use a bowl or a plug in the sink. If using a dishwasher wait until you have a full load before switching it on. This will help you save energy and money.
• Finally, remember to turn the tap of when you brush your teeth!

We’ll be sharing lots more of our favourite ways to save water and energy throughout the week across our social media channels. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Get involved in Big Energy Saving Week, join the conversation by following #BESW2019 and share your own water and energy saving tips.

Big Energy Saving Week is a joint campaign between Energy Saving Trust, Department of Energy and Climate Change and Citizens Advice