Five simple water saving tips

Here are some easy water saving tips to use at home. Not only can they help to save significant amounts of water, but they can also help you save on your water bills.

1. Showers

An easy way to save water is switching from baths to showers. Your choice of showerhead can also make a big difference. Simply by changing your showerhead to a newer version, you could save 20,000 litres of water a year. 3-star showerheads use up to 9 litres of water per minute, whereas older style showerheads use up to 20. That really adds up over time!

An electrical shower timer or an egg timer are a great help at making sure you stick to shorter showers. Four-minute showers are recommended.

2. Dishwashers

The dishwasher is the highest consumer of water in your kitchen, so we recommend you do your research and consider choosing a water efficient model. If you’re buying a new dishwasher, check the appliance for a WELS (National Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards scheme) label. The best products have 6 stars.

Handy tips to think about before your next use your dishwasher:

  • Only use the dishwasher when you have a full load.
  • Use the rinse-hold setting on the dishwasher (if it has one) rather than rinsing dishes under the tap.

3. Fix leaky taps

Dripping taps don’t just sound annoying, they waste enormous amounts of water – anywhere in the region of 30-200 litres a day. Replacing washers or broken parts when needed will save you money in the long term.

Top tap tips:

  • Flow-controlled aerators for taps can reduce water flow by 50% and are inexpensive.
  • Remember to turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.

4. Toilets

If you have an older toilet and you’re able to upgrade, it could save a significant amount of water. Older, single flush toilets use around 12 L per flush, whereas modern dual-flush toilets use 3 L per half flush and 4.5 L per full flush.

Leaking toilets can also be a major contributor. On average, a leaking toilet can waste as much as 200,000 litres of water per year. That’s almost the national average household use in one year!

Here’s how to check for toilet leaks:

  • Add a few drops of dye into your toilet cisterns and leave for an hour without flushing.
  • If dye appears in the toilet bowl, this may indicate a leak.

5. Washing up

Washing up under a running tap rather than putting the plug in the sink results in a lot of wasted water each night for just a few pots and pans. This can be easily avoided by doing the dishes with the plug in the sink.

Other handy tips include:

  • If you have two sinks, fill one with water for cleaning and one with water for rinsing.
  • Go easy on the washing up liquid to avoid things getting too sudsy and needing more rinsing water.