Water Saving Tips That Cut Your Energy Bill Too

Heating water accounts for around 15-20% of a typical Lancashire household’s energy bill, which means every litre of hot water you save also saves gas or electricity. By making simple changes to how you use hot water in your kitchen, bathroom and utility room, you could save an estimated £100-£200 per year on combined water and energy costs. None of these tips require expensive upgrades or technical knowledge.

If you are on a water meter (and most newer properties in Lancashire are, with United Utilities gradually rolling them out across older homes too), reducing hot water use delivers a double saving: lower water charges and lower energy costs. Even if you are still on unmetered water rates, the energy savings alone make these changes worthwhile.

Understanding How Much Hot Water Costs

It takes about 1.16kWh of energy to heat 10 litres of water from cold (about 10 degrees) to shower temperature (about 40 degrees). With a gas boiler at 90% efficiency and gas at 6.24p per kWh, heating those 10 litres costs roughly 0.8p. That sounds tiny, but the average household uses 140 litres of hot water per day, which adds up to about £400-£500 per year in water heating costs.

If you heat water with electricity (an immersion heater or electric shower), the cost per litre is roughly 3-4 times higher. Homes in Lancashire that rely on electric water heating have the most to gain from reducing hot water waste.

In the Bathroom: The Biggest Savings

The bathroom accounts for about 70% of household hot water use, making it the prime target for savings.

Shorten your showers. A standard mixer shower uses about 8 litres per minute. A power shower or large rain head uses 12-15 litres per minute. Cutting a 10-minute shower to 5 minutes saves 40-75 litres of hot water per shower. For a family of four showering daily, that is 160-300 litres saved per day, translating to roughly £50-£100 per year in energy savings alone.

Fit a water-efficient shower head. An aerating shower head mixes air with water to maintain pressure while reducing flow to 6-7 litres per minute. They cost £10-£30, take five minutes to fit (just unscrew the old one and screw on the new one), and save a family of four around £70 per year on energy. This is one of the best returns on investment of any home energy measure.

Choose showers over baths. A standard bath uses 80-100 litres of water. A 5-minute shower with an efficient shower head uses about 30-35 litres. Swapping two baths per week for showers saves roughly 100-130 litres of hot water weekly per person.

Fix dripping taps immediately. A hot water tap dripping once per second wastes around 15 litres per day. Over a year, that is nearly 5,500 litres of heated water wasted. A new tap washer costs less than £1 and takes 15 minutes to replace.

In the Kitchen: Small Changes Add Up

Kitchen hot water use is smaller in volume than bathroom use, but there are still worthwhile savings to be made.

Only boil what you need. Overfilling the kettle is one of the most common energy wastes in UK homes. Boiling a full 1.7-litre kettle when you only need water for one cup uses roughly three times more electricity than necessary. Use the cup markings on your kettle or measure the water with your cup first. Across a year, this simple habit saves around £15-£25 in electricity.

Run the dishwasher full. A modern dishwasher uses less hot water than washing the same load by hand (roughly 10-12 litres per cycle vs 30-40 litres for hand washing). But only run it when it is full. Two half-full cycles use twice the water and energy of one full cycle.

Wash up in a bowl, not under a running tap. If you do wash dishes by hand, fill a bowl rather than running the hot tap continuously. A running hot tap delivers about 6 litres per minute, so even 5 minutes of running water while scrubbing pans uses 30 litres.

Use the cold tap for quick rinses. Rinsing fruit, vegetables or a quick hand wash does not need hot water. Using the cold tap avoids firing up the boiler for a demand that will not use the heated water before it cools in the pipes anyway.

Laundry: The Temperature Drop That Saves Money

Washing machines are one of the largest hot water consumers in the home, and there is a simple change that makes a big difference.

Wash at 30 degrees instead of 40. Modern detergents are designed to work at 30 degrees, and for most everyday laundry (not heavily soiled work clothes or bedding), 30 degrees cleans just as effectively. The energy used to heat wash water drops by about 40% when you go from 40 to 30 degrees. For a household doing 5 loads per week, that saves approximately £25-£35 per year.

Always run full loads. A half-full washing machine uses nearly the same amount of water and energy as a full one. If you regularly have small loads, use the half-load or eco setting if your machine has one.

Avoid the tumble dryer when possible. This is more about electricity than water, but tumble dryers are among the most energy-hungry household appliances, costing 50-80p per cycle. Line drying or using an indoor airer costs nothing. In the Lancashire climate, a covered outdoor line or a well-ventilated utility room works for most of the year.

Your Hot Water System: Quick Efficiency Wins

A few adjustments to your hot water system itself can reduce waste without changing your habits at all.

Insulate your hot water cylinder. If you have a hot water tank (common in older Lancashire homes), fit a British Standard jacket if it is not already insulated. An 80mm jacket costs about £15-£25 and may save an estimated £30-£50 per year by reducing standby heat loss. If your cylinder already has a factory-fitted foam jacket, adding an extra layer on top still helps.

Insulate hot water pipes. Exposed hot water pipes in unheated spaces (the loft, under the floor, in the garage) lose heat before the water reaches your taps. Pipe lagging costs about £1-£2 per metre and takes minutes to fit. Focus on the first 2 metres of pipe leaving the hot water cylinder or boiler.

Check your boiler thermostat. Your hot water does not need to be scalding. Setting your boiler’s hot water output to 60 degrees is sufficient for all household uses while meeting Legionella safety requirements. Some households have theirs set to 70 or 80 degrees, which wastes energy heating water hotter than necessary and then mixing it with cold at the tap.

Use the timer. If you have a hot water cylinder, set the timer so it only heats water when you need it – typically once in the morning and once in the evening. Heating water continuously throughout the night or while you are at work is unnecessary.

Water Meters and United Utilities

If you are a United Utilities customer in Lancashire or Greater Manchester, you can request a free water meter installation. For smaller households (1-2 people), switching to a meter almost always saves money because you only pay for what you use. Larger households should use the United Utilities online calculator to check whether a meter would be cheaper.

United Utilities also offers free water-saving devices including shower timers, tap inserts and cistern bags. These are available through their website at no cost and delivered to your Lancashire home. Every litre of hot water these devices save also saves energy.

Adding It All Up

Here is a summary of potential annual savings for a family of four in Lancashire making all of these changes:

• Shorter showers and efficient shower head: £70-£100
• Fewer baths: £20-£30
• Kitchen tap habits: £10-£20
• Washing at 30 degrees: £25-£35
• Cylinder and pipe insulation: £30-£50
• Thermostat and timer adjustments: £20-£40
• Total potential saving: £175-£275 per year

These figures are conservative and come from a mix of independent energy organisations data and real household feedback. The actual amount depends on your starting habits, household size and heating system type.

Is it worth getting a water meter in Lancashire?

For 1-2 person households, a water meter typically saves money. For larger families, it depends on usage. United Utilities allows you to switch back to unmetered rates within 24 months if the meter costs you more, so there is no long-term risk in trying it.

Do eco shower heads reduce pressure?

Aerating shower heads maintain the feeling of pressure by mixing air into the water stream. Most people cannot tell the difference in shower experience. However, if you have very low water pressure (common in some older Lancashire properties), an aerating head may not suit. Check your flow rate first – if it is already below 8 litres per minute, your shower is already water-efficient.

Does washing at 30 degrees kill germs?

Modern detergents contain enzymes that are effective at lower temperatures. For everyday clothes, 30 degrees is fine. For bedding, towels or items worn by someone who has been ill, an occasional 60-degree wash kills bacteria and dust mites. You do not need to wash everything at high temperatures every time.