Energy Saving Week, Oct 25th-31st, Save water, energy and money

This week (October 25th- 31st) is Energy Saving Trust’s Energy Saving Week.

The Consumer Council for Water says that around three quarters of a household’s energy use relates to heating and hot water- baths, showers or washing clothes, dishes etc. By taking simple steps to use water more efficiently, (especially hot water) families should see a reduction in their energy bill, or on their meter.

Dame Yve Buckland, Chair of the Consumer Council for Water, said: “Taking five minutes to consider these very simple water and energy saving tips could pay off in the long run, and have the added benefit of helping to reduce your carbon footprint.”

The Consumer Council for Water and the Energy Saving Trust’s top tips to save water and energy:

• Replace worn washers on leaky taps. Over a year a dripping hot water tap and could add over £18 to your annual water bill.

• Shorten your shower. For every minute less you spend under your daily shower you could save between £5 and £10 off your energy bills over the year, or install a water saving shower head, which can cut the amount of water used by about 30%.

• When boiling a kettle, only fill it with as much water as necessary. Two-thirds of us waste energy by boiling more water than we need.

• Make sure that the dishwasher or washing machine is completely full before turning it on, and avoid using the half load setting. Half-load cycles use much more than half the energy and water of a full load.

• Washing machines use huge amounts of energy, 90 % of which is through heating water. By reducing the temperature from 40 to 30 degrees, energy consumption will be reduced by 40%.

• The hot water cylinder thermostat should be set at 60°C or 140°F. Any higher is a waste of energy and could lead to scalding.

• Insulate the hot water cistern to avoid wasting energy keeping it hot. Fitting a jacket that is at least 75mm thick could save around £35 each year.

More water saving tips are available at www.ccwater.org.uk

Picture from Krikit's photostream on flickr at www.flickr.com/photos.kristinbradley