In the 1830s the average person in the UK would have got by on just 18 litres of water per day, however nowadays we are using over 135 litres a day (7.5 times the volume)!
Calderdale Forum 50 Plus is working with Yorkshire Water to tell you about the ways in which you can save money and help conserve water supplies by reducing your consumption.
Water meters are the most popular way to reduce water bills. Installing a water meter means you only pay for what you use and can track your water consumption. Some people are put off from installing a meter fearing their bills might increase! However Yorkshire Water let you trial the meter for two years and then allow you to return to a non-metered supply if you find you are paying more.
Find out more and apply online
Water saving devices are another easy way to reduce your water consumption and Yorkshire Water supply them free of charge to customers. Let’s start with the smallest room in the house – the toilet.
Toilet flushing accounts for one third of the water used in a home and one toilet flush of an old style loo uses a massive 14 litres of water. If your toilet is a modern one, then each flush uses 6 litres of water – a lot less, but still a lot of water.
Installing a flush saver device will make a huge difference, reducing the water used in each flush by 1.2 litres adding up to 5,000 litres per year on average.
Showering is another cause of high water (and energy) bills – and power showers are the least water efficient. According to the Energy Saving Trust 2012, cutting just a minute off our shower time could save £15 in energy bills, and a further £15 in water bills if water is metered, per person, per year – or £120 saved a year for an average four-person household.
There are two easy-to-install options that will help. A 4 minute shower timer works like an egg timer and can be attached to your shower wall. Simply flip the timer each time you take a shower and try and finish before the sand runs out. A Shower Save Regulator can also be easily fitted to your shower mixer unit and regulates your shower to 8 litres per minute, reducing your energy bills as well as your water bill.
Other free devices from Yorkshire Water include leaky loo detection strips and tap inserts.
You can save money on your utility bills and help conserve water by requesting a free water saving pack.
Extra help for those who need it most
As well as help with bill payments, it could be worth signing up to Yorkshire Water’s Priority Services Register.
As well as help with reducing your water consumption, it could be worth adding yourself to the Yorkshire Water Priority Services Register. It gives you priority access to bottled water in case of emergencies, and ensures you are one of the first to know when water supplies have to be cut off.
If you are aged over 65 or have a disability or medical condition then its free to sign up to. You can also appoint a nominee to look after your account or have your bills and letters supplied in different formats such as braille or audio. And if you’re worried about security at home, you can be given a password to use to check a caller is genuine.
