Six simple gadgets to save water this summer

Households can save hundreds of dollars a year with water-saving tips and gadgets – just as many regions prepare to ban water hoses.

Even better, many devices that help save water and money are given out for free by water companies, although it depends on where you live.

The average annual water bill increased by 7.5 per cent this year, from £417 to £448.

While this bill is slightly different from the average £2,000 utility bill, or rising rates for groceries and mortgage payments, it’s still worth keeping under control if possible.

Aside from the money-saving argument for conserving water, there’s an obvious environmental rationale for preserving this resource – even though water companies lose millions of gallons a day to leaks.

This year, hose bans have already been introduced by South East Water and South West Water.

But households can save money on water with gadgets and a sensible approach to how they use this vital resource.

Saving water only means lower bills for households with a water meter, but saving water can also save money on energy bills, for example if you use less shower water.

There are two ways gadgets can help you save water: by using less of it and by recycling water that would otherwise end up in the sink.

1. Water saving shower head

These devices work like a standard shower head, but reduce the amount of water used.

For example, a Flowpoint water-saving shower head uses about 7 liters of water per minute, compared to the typical 15 that a standard shower head uses.

These shower heads normally cost £10 to £20 and can be easily installed without a professional.

However, these water saving devices – like many others – are provided free of charge by some water suppliers.

For example, homes in the Maidstone area of ​​Kent are eligible for free water-saving shower heads, as well as many other freebies.

But it all depends on where you live. Thames Water customers in London are not eligible for such complimentary items.

To find out what you can get, enter your zip code Save water Save money website.

2. Rain barrel

Rain barrels are designed to collect rainwater, which can then be used for tasks such as watering the garden.

These cost from £25 to £40 for a standard 100 liter water barrel to £40 to £100 for a 200 litre, although more luxurious versions are also available.

The idea is that these connect to downspouts that come out of the house’s gutters and then collect and store rainwater that would otherwise go down the drain.

Many gardeners install gutters in their sheds and then collect water that would otherwise have drained into the soil.

Even a relatively small shed can fill a 100 liter rain barrel at the end of a rainy week.

3. Water two

This £35 gadget is designed to collect ‘grey’ water – the water used when we run a sink, take a bath or shower or use a dishwasher.

The average home uses 5 to 13 liters of water per minute when showering, and up to 80 when taking a bath.

The Water Two gadget can be mounted on your external drain line, which carries the water from your bath or shower to the drain.

It then diverts this water to a rain barrel or garden irrigation system.

However, users must release this gray water back down the drain when using cleaning products such as bleach, which will kill plants.

Water collected in this way also cannot be kept for more than 48 hours, as bacteria begin to accumulate.

The Royal Horticultural Society also warns against overusing gray water in gardens and never using it for anything you intend to eat.

But before there was the Water Two, there was the humble bucket.

Eco-friendly gardeners have long placed a bucket on the floor of their shower to collect water that would otherwise go down the drain.

Inexpensive, effective and reusable – with the only drawback being a potential tripping hazard.

4. Cistern pocket

These simple inventions will help you use less water when you flush the toilet.

Normally 6 to 8 liters of water is used when flushing. But this can be reduced by 1 to 2 liters per flush with a cistern bag.

These are sturdy plastic bags that are placed in your toilet cistern and filled with water.

That effectively reduces the size of your cistern and the amount of water it takes to refill it.

So the next time you flush the toilet, you’ll need four to seven liters of water to refill the cistern, not six to eight.

Best of all, these cistern bags cost just £1 to £5 and will last for the foreseeable future.

5. Tap the aerator

These smart gadgets reduce water consumption by limiting the flow and mixing small soft bubbles with the water coming from a tap.

Faucet aerators are mounted on the spigot of a faucet and the idea is that customers will then use less water when washing dishes or washing their hands.

The devices cost around £10. Examples, such as the Kitchen Stream, reduced water flow to 6.8 liters per minute, when the norm was around 8 litres.

Similar devices have been invented to also reduce the amount of water used by showers.

These do not aerate the water, but only limit how much flows through to the shower head.

These gadgets fit on a shower tap or tap and cost between €3.50 and €10.

6. Baby dam

Why run an entire bath when you’re only washing a tiny human?

Devices like the Baby Dam work by closing off a smaller part of the bathtub and allowing it to fill with water only.

There are a few variants on the market, but none are cheap, costing £30 to £40 when bought new, which should be weighed against any savings on the water bill.

Other ways to save money on water

Water meter

If you live in a household that doesn’t use a lot of water, you can save money by switching to a water meter.

It may also be worth switching to a meter if your property has a high council tax value, as some water bills are based on this.

But having a water meter installed can also mean your bills go up, not down.

A good rule of thumb is that you could pay less if there are fewer people in your home than there are bedrooms, according to the charity Citizens Advice.

The Consumer Council for Water has a free water meter calculator which tells you if you can save money by having one fitted.

It asks questions about your water usage and gives you your estimated cost if you have a meter. If you find that you are no better off after switching to a meter, you can usually switch back to how the bill was paid before within twelve months.

In addition to gadgets, according to the Consumer Council for Water, there are a few other ways to save on water.

In fact, saving money on water often also means saving on energy bills.

The CCW figures are based on a household with four residents and a water meter.

Take shortR showers

If everyone in the house shaved five minutes out of their daily shower, they could save more than £750 a year in combined water and energy costs, according to the CCW.

Repair leaking loos

If your toilet is constantly leaking water from the cistern into the bowl, the costs can add up.

Getting your leaking toilet repaired can save your household more than £350 a year, depending on how much water is wasted.

Turn off the tap while brushing

If everyone turned off the tap while brushing their teeth, the household could save around £115 a year, according to the CCW.

Fix dripping taps

A dripping tap can waste around 5,500 liters of water all year round, and getting it fixed will put an extra €20 in your pocket.

Only run full dishwashers

Cutting out two dishwasher cycles a week by ensuring it is always fully loaded can save a household around £60 a year in water and energy costs, according to the CCW.