How to save water at home: 9 habits that cut the bill

2 min read · 9 steps · Updated 3 October 2026

Saving water saves twice, on the water bill and on the energy used to heat it. Heating water is a large part of the energy a household uses. The habits below come from the UK's Energy Saving Trust. None needs a plumber.

Step by step

1. Shorten the shower

   Aim for three to five minutes, about the length of one song. The shower is where most hot water goes, so every minute less counts.

   Done

2. Shower instead of bathing

   A bath uses far more water than a short shower. The Energy Saving Trust puts the saving from replacing one bath a week with a shower at around 4,000 litres a year.

   Done

3. Turn off the tap

   Do not let the water run while you brush your teeth, shave, or soap your hands and hair. For a typical household that saves about 9,000 litres a year.

   Done

4. Run full loads

   Wait until the washing machine and the dishwasher are full, and use their eco programmes, which take longer but use less water and energy. A full dishwasher uses less water than washing the same dishes by hand under a running tap.

   Done

5. Fill the kettle with what you need

   Measure the water with the cup you will drink from. Boiling a full kettle for one cup wastes water and electricity several times a day.

   Done

6. Fix drips and running toilets

   A dripping tap or a toilet that keeps running wastes water day and night. A drop of food colouring in the cistern shows a leak: if colour appears in the bowl without flushing, the valve needs replacing. Tell your landlord if you rent.

   Done

7. Fit a water-saving shower head

   A regulated or aerating shower head mixes air into the water or limits the flow, and feels much the same. It is screwed on by hand in a minute. Tap aerators do the same for basins.

   Done

8. Reuse water

   Wash vegetables in a bowl and give the water to plants. Catch the cold water that runs before the hot arrives. Let the water from boiled vegetables cool and use it in the garden.

   Done

9. Collect rainwater

   If you have a garden, a water butt on a downpipe gives free water for plants, and plants prefer it to tap water.

   Done

Good to know

Descale the shower head when the spray gets weak, so nobody turns the water up to compensate.

Use the half-flush button on the toilet. Older cisterns can be fitted with a simple displacement bag.

If your flat has its own water meter, read it once a month. A rise without a reason is the first sign of a hidden leak.

Related: how to lower your energy bill, how to descale a kettle and how to clean a dishwasher.

In short: Shorter showers, shower instead of bath, taps off while brushing, full loads on eco, less water in the kettle, fix drips, water-saving shower head, reuse water, collect rain.