Oxford is my world Your – Guide to saving the planet!
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WATER: Water Use
Not everyone associates water with energy but did you know that 3% of the UK's energy is used by water and sewerage services! On top of that water consumption in the UK is increasing year on year; we use 70% more now per person than we did 40 years ago.
Of the drinking quality tap water that gets delivered to our homes only 3% gets drunk, 30% goes down the toilet and the rest goes down the drain. Plus with the changing climate we can expect hotter drier summers with higher probability of drought, so nowadays saving water means saving energy and the environment.
Very Easy
- - If you don't get metered bills, you could benefit financially from being charged for just the water you use. Find out how much you could save by contacting Thames Water, who will fit a water meter to your property for free, if you are the owner or a long-term tenant.
- - Depending on how water-wise you are you might experience a more than 50% drop in your bills with a water meter. If your bills increase you can choose to return to non-metered billing within the first year.
- - Small changes in behaviour can make big differences: showers use 5 times less water than baths or power showers.
- - Each toilet flush can use up to 9 litres of drinking quality water, so avoid unnecessary flushes.
- - In the kitchen: wash fruit, veg and washing-up in a bowl rather than under a running tap.
- - Request a free Water Hippo and water saving leaflet from Thames Water. Water Hippos can save up to 3 litres a flush.
- - Contact Oxford City Council for more water efficiency tips for your house and garden.
Fairly Easy
- - Prevent leaks and get a free water audit: Watersmart do free home water audits and can help you to identify and repair minor leaks. They aim for a 10–15% reduction in water use and water bills for metered customers.
- - Fit a dual flush to your toilet, it increases the water pressure of each flush and cuts the water consumption by half, saving a massive 20% on your total water bill.
- - Water saving taps, attachments and dual flushes are available from all good DIY and plumbing supply stores, or contact the Environment Agency or Waterwise for more information about products and suppliers.
- - Use water butts to collect rainwater from your roof for use in your garden. They are available from garden centres and often at reduced prices from Thames Water.
Not Quite So Easy
- - Buy ‘A‘ or ‘A++‘ rated washing machines and dishwashers, they are very water efficient and save energy too. By law, all machines should display an energy label, so you can compare their water and energy consumptions. Don't forget to notify retailers if you can't find the energy label of any laundry appliance or dishwasher.
- - Rainwater harvesting can be as simple as collecting rainwater in a water butt for use in your garden. Or it can involve more complicated systems for flushing toilets and washing machine use. For more information contact the Environment Agency.
- - Greywater recycling systems collect and treat wastewater from showers, baths and basins. This recycled water can be used to flush toilets, water gardens and sometimes feed washing machines. Contact the Environment Agency for more information.
- - Learn about sustainable water and sewage systems, the Low Impact Living Initiative run a weekend course covering rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling and composting toilets.
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