According to the Energy Saving Trust, an adult uses around 142 litres of water every day. We use this when running the shower, taking a bath, washing the dishes, and other daily tasks. If every household in the UK reduced their daily shower by one minute every day, it would save £215 million in energy bills nationwide every year.
During summer, it has often been necessary to implement a hosepipe ban to reduce water consumption. However, if you harvest water using a water butt, you could attach a hosepipe and water your garden for free. All of these small changes add up to big results.
If you are trying to save money on your water bill, or want to consciously help the environment and reduce your water output, follow our helpful tips on how to save water.
Easy ways to save water at home
Time your showers
We all spend a little too long in the shower, especially when we’re still waking up. You can reduce the amount of water wasted by timing your shower. You can set a timer on your phone, scrub yourself clean, and get out once the timer has gone off. Start by trying to reduce your shower time by one minute, and go from there.
Use the dishwasher only when full
Running the dishwasher multiple times per day is a waste of both energy and water. If you only have a small amount of dishes to wash, fill up the sink and wash them by hand. If not, you can fill your dishwasher up throughout the day, and run it at night time once it is full.
Install a water butt
Installing a water butt is a great way to save water and reduce your annual bill. You can use the water collected to water your plants, clean your muddy bikes, wash your car – the list goes on. Owls Hall offers a wide range of water butts for you to choose from.
How to install a water butt
Your water butt needs to be installed next to a down-pipe from your roof gutter. We have broken down the installation steps below:
- To install your water butt, you should firstly cut into the down-pipe and take a section out – this is detailed in your installation manual.
- You then slot the filter collector into the down-pipe and attach one end of the hose to the filter. Each of our water butts comes with a hole cutting saw, which you can use to drill into the tank.
- Once a hole has been cut, you can then either push the hose in, or secure the hose into the water butt with a supplied back nut.
We provide a selection of different coloured filters and a variety of hose lengths, so that you can position the water butt away from the down-pipe, if desired.
We would highly recommend purchasing a filter for your water butt, to ensure that your rainwater is clear of any debris. This can be found as an optional extra for all of our water butts. We also stock a range of water butt taps, so that you can make the most of your rainwater.
What types of water butt are there?
Barrel Water Butt
You can choose a barrel water butt for a classic addition to your garden. The lid is childproof, to stop your children from opening it up.
Modern Water Butt
If you prefer a more sleek design, a modern water butt may be the one for you. You can plant flowers on the top, to help it to blend in with its surroundings.
Nordic Water Butt
A Nordic water butt is truly unique, and its slim design will fit into any space. A simple design to suit any garden.
If you need any advice on how to install your water butt, get in touch with our friendly team.