Households urged to save water in winter as poll shows people underestimate use
Water UK is running its national summer campaign through the winter for the first time after last year’s drought.
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Your support makes all the difference.Households are being urged to save water this winter as a survey suggests the vast majority of people underestimate how much they use each day.
Water UK is running its national summer Water’s Worth Saving campaign throughout the winter for the first time in a bid to avert restrictions such as hosepipe bans next year after 2022’s record heat and drought.
Polling for Water UK, which represents water companies and suppliers across the UK, found 94% of those quizzed thought their household used less than 140 litres of water a day, while the average level of use in this country is 152 litres a day per person.
If we don’t act now to reduce our water usage, we could be paying for it later in the year
More than two-thirds (67%) of the 2,238 people surveyed by Savanta thought the figure for their household was less than 70 litres – enough for a five-minute shower – and over a fifth (21%) thought they used less than 20 litres, which would only flush a toilet twice.
Water UK is concerned that, despite the weather getting colder and wetter in the winter, the record-breaking heatwave and dry conditions last summer left reservoir stocks in England at their lowest levels on record.
Recent rain in the key winter period, when water is not being taken up by greenery or evaporating in warm weather, has helped alleviate the problem, but some parts of the country remain at risk of severe drought again this summer, the organisation warned.
The survey suggests less than a third (30%) of people recognise the importance of saving water in winter, compared with 80% who said it was important in the summer months.
But Water UK said using water more wisely at home in the winter will not only make restrictions less likely this summer, it will also give the environment time to recover, and people will cut their carbon footprint and save money on bills.
- Take a shorter shower
- Turn off the tap while cleaning your teeth
- Fit a low flow shower head
- Fix leaks in your home
- Use a water butt
- Use a watering can instead of a hose
Taking a four-minute shower – instead of the average eight minutes – could save around 50 litres of hot water, and £165 a year on energy bills, and turning off the tap while brushing teeth could save up to 24 litres each day, it said.
Tackling leaks in the home can save far more water than people think: the survey found 61% thought a faulty toilet flush wastes less than 50 litres, when it actually wastes 215-400 litres a day, costing money on bills.
Demand for water has been increasing since the pandemic as people spend more time at home, but organisations such as the Environment Agency have warned of the need to significantly reduce the amount used per person as resources face pressure from a growing population and climate change.
Water companies have also faced pressure to reduce leaks from the pipe network, as well as criticism for the amount of untreated sewage that ends up in rivers and the sea from treatment works and drainage systems after heavy rain.
Peter Jenkins, director of campaigns at Water UK, said: “With last summer’s heatwave now a distant memory, it’s more important than ever to show the public the value of saving water this winter for the sunnier days ahead – if we don’t act now to reduce our water usage, we could be paying for it later in the year.
“Everyone has a part to play in reducing our water consumption, and our survey results show that people have no idea just how much water they are actually using.
“That’s why we’re running our Water’s Worth Saving campaign this winter, providing the public with advice and simple tips to help save water and safeguard the environment all year round.”
Water UK said the industry also recognised it had a part to play on saving water, and pointed to Ofwat figures which showed leakage rates falling since 2018-19 to their lowest recorded levels – while companies had plans to halve leakage by 2050.