Water Saving

Water efficiency has tended to be the poor cousin of energy efficiency. But like energy efficiency, it can save us money. Businesses can expect to save at least 20% by making their "domestic" processes (such as catering and toilets) more water efficient, and the average home can reap similar dividends through small behavioural changes and cheap, easy fixes.

Typically, every household uses about 50 litres of water per person per day for WC flushing. This represents about 35 per cent of all domestic water use. The most efficient WCs can reduce this volume to around 20 litres or less per person per day.

For many tasks, we turn the tap on further than necessary for example: cleaning teeth, washing hands and rinsing.

The roof on a 'typical' four bed family home captures more than 100,000 litres (100 cubic metres) of rainwater a year.

A typical family uses 70,000 litres year on toilet flushing, clothes washing, and outside use.

A rainwater harvesting system will save you money, as well as helping the environment. It comprises a storage tank which can be buried in your garden or under a path, drive or patio. It collects water from your roof, filters off leaves and other debris, and stores it. Then, when you flush the toilet or run the outside taps, a pump in the tank comes on automatically. The system can hold about 3 weeks worth of water, depending on the size of your home.