The cost of living is going up and water and energy bills are definitely part of the trend. From April 2019, the average UK water bill was projected to increase by £9 in the South West, with the typical household paying £415 for their water each year.

Wasting a bit of water doesn’t seem like the biggest crime in a temperate climate like ours — but being a bit more careful about how you use your water could have a big impact on your annual outgoings. Here are five ways you might be able to save water without even realising it.

Shorten your showering stint

Staying in the shower that little bit longer to keep warm or to enjoy that bit of extra solitude can be very tempting. Yet did you know that taking long showers could waste between five and ten gallons of water? Being quick when washing could have a huge impact over your water usage, as could a new shower head — a water efficient shower head can help save nearly 750 gallons of water a month.

Rethink how you wash your food

We all want our food to be clean and hygienic when we’re cooking a meal — but you can save water by washing your fruit and veg in a pan filled with water rather than under a constantly running tap. The water used to clean your food can also be recycled. Why not use it on your potted plants around the house or flowers out in the garden?

Water the garden in the morning or evening

Everyone wants the plants and lawns in their gardens to be looking lush and watering your garden is crucial to that. But according to the Royal Horticultural Society, the green-fingered among us should water most outdoor plants in the early morning or evening. Watering in the afternoon can lead to water loss through evaporation during the warmest part of the day. You’ll use less H20 if you water your plants first thing or later in the day.

Don’t cut corners when filling the dishwasher and washing machine

Dishwashers are hugely convenient for helping to keep our crockery and cutlery clean — but when washing out your favourite coffee mug seems like a Herculean task, it can be all too easy to put a small load through the washer. Just wait that little bit longer until you have enough dirty dishes to fill your machine and you’ll score big savings on both water and electricity. If you really need that mug right now, you could always wash it the old fashioned way!

The same goes for your washing machine. Even modern machines typically use between eight and 12 gallons of water per cycle, so while you shouldn’t overfill your machine with laundry, washing just a few items at a time is a huge waste of water.

Look after your teeth AND your water bill at the same time

Leaving the tap running while brushing your teeth has the potential to waste gallons of water. If you brush your teeth for two minutes and leave the tap flowing fast, you could potentially waste three gallons! It’s a classic mistake and one that is easily avoided.

Save up to £240 per year with our CombiSave

As the old saying goes, if you look after the pennies the pounds will look after themselves. While these cost-cutting measures could have a profound effect on your household budget, our CombiSave device could have an even bigger impact on your spending — as much as £240 a year!

The ‘fit and forget’ combi-boiler device can help you reduce the amount of water and gas used in the initial heating process, saving you time and money, and helping the environment. It can be fitted next to your existing combi-boiler and it restricts the flow of water until it has reached the required heat, potentially saving 28,000 litres of water each year.

If you want to start saving water, gas, time and money, find out more about the CombiSave here: https://teddingtonheating.com/combisave/