How do I reduce my water bill?

Water costs are driven by a small number of things: whether you are metered, whether anything is leaking, and the few high-use fixtures. Most water-saving advice addresses the small end while ignoring the running toilet upstairs.

What you'll need

• Recent water bills (optional)
• Meter access (optional)

Step by step

1. Work out whether a meter would save you money.As a rough rule, if there are fewer people in the household than bedrooms, a meter usually costs less than a rateable-value charge. Most suppliers have a calculator.
2. Check for leaks.Turn everything off, read the meter, wait an hour without using water, and read it again. Any movement means a leak, and this test takes no effort.
3. Check the toilet is not running.A continuously running toilet wastes an enormous quantity, silently. Put food colouring in the cistern — if it appears in the bowl without flushing, it is leaking.
4. Fix dripping taps.A dripping tap wastes a surprising volume over a year, and it is usually a washer or cartridge that costs very little.
5. Fit a low-flow shower head.Showers are one of the largest uses in most homes. A modern low-flow head reduces water and the energy used to heat it, which is the larger saving.
6. Use appliances efficiently.Full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher. A modern dishwasher uses considerably less water than washing the same load by hand.
7. Fit a cistern displacement device.Free from most water companies. It reduces the volume of each flush, and toilets are among the largest household uses.
8. Collect rainwater for the garden.Water butts on downpipes. Garden watering can be a large share of summer usage on a metered supply.

Tips

• Many water companies offer free water-saving devices — shower timers, cistern devices, tap aerators. It is worth asking what is available.
• If a leak is on your supply pipe rather than inside the house, some suppliers will repair it free or contribute. Ask before paying for it.
• Hot water costs twice — the water and the energy to heat it. Reducing hot water use saves more than the water bill alone suggests.

Common mistakes

• Ignoring a running toilet — It can waste more water than the rest of the household combined, silently and continuously. It is the single largest avoidable loss.
• Switching to a meter without checking — For a large household in a low-rateable-value property, a meter can cost considerably more. Use the supplier's calculator first.
• Focusing on small savings while a leak continues — A leak or a running toilet outweighs every behavioural change put together. Check for leaks before anything else.

Questions people ask