Research shows how long the average shower lasts in Britain – and it’s surprisingly short
It’s something most of us do every day without exception.
But have you ever stopped to think about how your daily shower compares to the rest of Britain?
In a new study, researchers from the University of Surrey have revealed the length of the average British shower.
Their findings show that the average shower lasts just 6.7 minutes, although some Brits are indulging in much longer sessions.
Professor Ian Walker, co-author of the study, joked on
It’s something most of us do every day without exception. But have you ever stopped to think about how your daily shower compares to the rest of Britain? (stock image)
Their findings show that the average shower lasts just 6.7 minutes, although some Brits are indulging in much longer sessions
In their research, the team wanted to assess the amount of water used in showers, as well as possible measures to improve efficiency.
Writing in their study, which is available as a pre-print herethe team explains: ‘Improving water efficiency in showers is crucial, given the high water consumption, energy consumption and associated CO2 emissions.’
Water use in 290 showers of University of Surrey students was covertly monitored for 39 weeks using Aguardio sensors.
In total, these sensors recorded 86,421 individual showers.
Analysis of the results showed that the average shower lasted 6.7 minutes, while 50 percent took between 3.3 and 8.8 minutes.
However, the researchers point out that this length is likely longer among the general public.
“I’m going to suggest that these Surrey students generally take shorter showers than many people,” Professor Walker tweeted.
‘The last time we measured showers among the British public we found an average of 10.8 minutes.’
Because the researchers knew exactly how long the water ran during each shower, as well as the flow rate of each shower, they were also able to estimate how much water was used each time a participant showered.
To their surprise, the researchers discovered that there was a negative correlation between water pressure and consumption
This is where they saw “the big win-win,” as Professor Walker puts it.
To their surprise, the researchers discovered that there was a negative correlation between water pressure and consumption.
‘More powerful showers used less water overall,’ Professor Walker explained.
He jokingly added: ‘A DELICIOUS tingling shower can be *Better* FOR THE ENVIRONMENT THAN A WEAK DRIBBLE. I know?’
These findings could “tell us something behaviourally”, says Professor Walker.
“It suggests that people turn off the shower when they have achieved a desired sensation, rather than just when they have completed a certain series of actions,” he said.
‘This is a potentially important new insight.’
The Aguardio sensors used to monitor the showers also have timers, and the researchers found these were effective in reducing water consumption.
‘It seems that a big advantage of the timers is that they prevent the showers from gradually getting longer and longer as the weeks go by,’ Professor Walker explained.
“We’re wondering if people fixate on the duration of their first shower, and stick to it if there’s a timer.”
Overall, the researchers found that the average water consumption of a low-pressure shower without a timer was 61 liters.
This was reduced to just 17 liters when the water was at a higher pressure and a timer was used.
“This stuff gets big really fast,” Proessor Walker concluded.
‘In this experiment alone, those 290 showers burned 4.4 million liters of hot water and approximately 15 tons of CO2e in the 39 weeks.
“The energy involved is mind-boggling when you think about what it’s like on a national scale.”