What are the best water-saving devices for your home?

You might not think it, but Britain is often victim to severe water shortages. Yes, it rains a lot here – however, there are a multitude of factors which contribute to our decreasing reserves of water. In 2005, for example, groundwater levels were the lowest they’d been for 20 years in the UK. On the one hand, cities like London receive less annual rainfall than Rome and Istanbul but still we consume 16 buckets of water per person, per day. Additionally, changing climate and general weather (including hotter summers) has meant that there simply isn’t as much water around as there used to be. Quite simply, water shortages are a real and current threat today in the UK.

It’s long been predicted that water, in the future, will carry more value than oil. As countries like China and India continue to expand in population, our governments are facing the increasing challenge of providing water for their people. Some of the most pessimistic economists have even suggested that future generations will wage over access to water resources.

So, what can you do to help?

They say that charity begins at home. In this case, you can help to reverse this problem by taking small and persistent measures to reduce your water intake. We all know that leaving the tap on or taking longer showers isn’t environmentally friendly. For this reason, there are a range of water-saving devices on the market which can you help you to cut down on your consumption.

Here is our list of the best domestic products to encourage homeowners do their bit for the environment.

1. Eco Washing Machines

In the past, washing machines could be incredibly wasteful and use a vast amount of water to complete the same job as another less-impactful machines. A study by Which? showed that some models would use 5.5 litres of water for a kilogramme of washing. Another, however, would use around 13.6 litres for the same amount without achieving any better results. This is why eco washing machines are so important.

Eco washing machines typically require less water and less energy to run, compared to traditional machines. There are a variety of washing machines on the market for you to choose from; Which? also do a useful comparison guide so that you can choose the right one for you.

While eco washing machines are a fantastic way to reduce your water consumption, they can also be rather expensive. In this respect, there are plenty of handy tips available to homeowners who want to use less water. Here are the most important points:

● Always wash your clothes at maximum capacity: washing machines are designed to hold a drum-full of clothing, so don’t worry about filling it more than ⅔ full. In doing so, you’ll save water over the year by doing less washes.

● Think twice about using extra rinse: if you’re using the right detergent, then there’s no need to wash your clothes twice during a cycle. This wastes water and means that you’ll use more energy than necessary.

● Keep the temperature low: most washing machines give users to wash their clothes at 100 degrees. This is far too high and largely unnecessary. Instead, you can wash your garments at 30 degrees to achieve the same desired results. This will cut down on your electricity costs and make your home more eco-friendly.

2. Eco Kettles

Kettles are one of the most commonly used appliances in the British household. Not only do we use them to make tea and coffee, but many people boil the kettle when they are cooking and cleaning. While we wouldn’t recommend that you stop enjoying your favourite brew, you can be more eco-savvy with your kettle. Eco kettles are a fantastic way to reduce your water and energy usage.

Eco kettles work by ensuring that you don’t use too much water or boil the kettle for longer than you need to. For example, many speciality teas (like green tea) can only be enjoyed at the maximum temperature of 80 degrees. Additionally, coffee beans and granules can burn if you add boiling water directly to them. This is why eco kettles will switch off before you water reaches 90 degrees.

In order to use less water, most eco kettles come with the option of choosing how much water you wish to boil. You can set the kettle to one cup (or more) and only boil what you actually need. Overall, eco kettles use – on average – 60% less energy than traditional kettles.

If you can’t afford an eco kettle, then there are other steps you can take to cut down on your water usage. They include:

● Only boiling the kettle for the amount of water you actually need.

● Only using the kettle as and when you need it; many people boil the kettle then simply forget about it later.

3. Eco Fixed Shower Heads

One of the most common domestic usages of water is through the shower. If you have a large family, then the shower can be used up to 4-5 times a day; swallowing up a large volume of water. It’s simply not practical to advise that you shower less. Instead, you can opt for an eco shower head which uses less water compared to other models.

They work by pumping your water using a pulsing action, rather than using air to increase the flow of water. This means that you potentially use half the amount of water than before – saving you money and energy. Some eco shower heads can pulse up to 30-40 times a minute. They still provide you with the same powerful shower experience, but with less water wastage.

We thoroughly recommend that individuals, particularly large households, invest in eco-showers to cut down on their water use.

A Short Summary

This blog has given you a small idea of the steps you can take to reduce water consumption in your home. There are many options available to you, but these are amongst some of the most accessible and effective measures you can install. It pays to do your research; so find a solution that fits your individual needs.

This guest post was written by Jennifer Smith on behalf of GreenDealShop.com, the Green Deal approved assessors, providers and installers.