As the hosepipe ban is introduced across parts of the UK, people need to make sure they’re keeping an eye on their water consumption. The shortage will affect millions of homeowners, not to mention having a potentially adverse effect on the UK’s wildlife. Cutting down water usage not only makes good environmental sense, it can save on household bills too which is why Megaflo, the water experts, have put together some practical, everyday tips to help homeowners save precious water.

1.    Savings on tap

There’s no need to keep the tap running while brushing your teeth or shaving as you can waste up to 9 litres a minute by just letting the water pour down the sink , so turn it off in-between cleaning^{(water-guide.org)[i].} This way, we are only using as much water as we really need.

2.    A glass a day helps keep the ban away

Why not just use one glass for your drinking water each day or refill a water bottle as this will cut down on the number of glasses to wash, reducing both your washing up time and

 3.    Make sure your wash is a full one

When using your dishwasher or washing machine make sure the load is full as this can save gallons of water and also helps you shift your piles of washing more quickly!

4.    A shower of savings

Spend less time in the shower and even turn off the tap in-between rinses while washing your hair.  If you aim to spend no more than two minutes in the shower it will go a long way to helping cut down on your water usage.

5.    Rationalise your tea-making operations!

Fill the kettle with only as much water as you need as this will save both water and energy.  Using a cup to measure out the amount of water you put into your kettle will help reduce the strain on your bank account as well as on the UK’s water resources!

6.    Fix your leaks

Those leaky taps can waste gallons of water, it is estimated that just one drop a second from a dripping tap wastes nearly 5,000 litres of water a year ^{(fhc2020.co.uk)[ii].} So get the plumber in and fix those faucets! Having a new washer fitted will be a lot cheaper than the cost of the water a leak can waste.

7.    If you can, use it twice!

Never let water down the drain if you can use it again.  Did you know that you can re-use your washing-up water to water your plants and garden?  Washing up liquid is harmless to our growing friends and recycling the used dish water ensures you are doing your bit for the environment.  You can even water plants with your used vegetable cooking water!

8.    Keep it cool

Keeping a bottle of water in the fridge avoids you having to run the tap for a while and waste water while you wait for it to run cold.  You can then refill the water bottle as you need it and even use the water left over in your kettle to be super-efficient.

9.    Wash your dishes

When washing dishes by hand, don’t let the water run while rinsing. Try filling one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water and wash up everything in one go.

10.  Keep your greens green!

However, you can wash your fruits and vegetables in a single bowl of water instead of running water from the tap through a colander.

11.  Forget the hose- use a bucket and sponge

Using a sponge and a bucket of water to clean your car, instead of a hose, is the smart way to keep our prized four-wheeled friends shining, without breaking the water bank.

12.  Stop your flushing

Did you know that each time we flush the toilet it uses the same amount of water which a person in the third world used all day for washing, cleaning, cooking and drinking?^{(whrnet.org)[iii]}Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily; put your tissues and other waste in the bin rather than the toilet.

Megaflo is showing its support to helping save water by co-funding a Pump Aid project to develop water wells and flushing toilets for 21 schools in Malawi.  Pump Aid is a charity dedicated to providing clean water and good sanitation to underprivileged areas in Africa.