We all like to save money and household bills can never be too small. One thing you can do to reduce these bills is save water. By reducing the amount of water you use you can not only lower your water bill but you can also lower your energy bill as less water uses less energy to heat it. By using less water you’re doing your bit for the environment and here are a few things you can do to save water and save money in your home:

• Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth – Leaving the tap running while you brush can waste lots of water unnecessarily, so turn the tap off until you need to rinse.
• Speed up your showers – Keep an eye on the time by using a shower timer or if you don’t have one of those, play some music while you scrub and limit your time to a couple of songs (singing optional). Keeping your shower time down also helps you to save energy because you’ll need to heat less water. If you prefer to take baths, try filling up the tub an inch or so lower than usual can make a significant difference over time.
• Fix your leaks – Seen a spike in your water bill? You may have a leak. You can easily detect a leak in your toilet by putting a few drops of food coloring in your cistern and checking the toilet bowl around an hour later – if the food coloring has appeared, you have a leak. Call a plumber to fix any leaks, as that’s water going to waste.
• Fix dripping taps – Along the same lines, dripping taps can increase your water bills – it might not look like much but over time those constant drips add up, so get those drips fixed.
• Fill up your dishwasher or washing machine – Wait until your dishwasher or washing machine is full before using it. Half-full loads waste water, so hold off until you have a bigger load to wash if you can. When filling up the dishwasher, scrape food from plates instead of rinsing them. Economy settings can be found on most new dishwashers and washing machines and they can reduce your use of water and energy.
• Fill up the sink instead of running the tap – If you’re hand washing dishes or clothes, fill up the sink with water instead of leaving the tap running with the sink unplugged.
• Ditch the hosepipe for a watering can – Using a watering can in the garden instead of a hosepipe can help you to use a lot less water.
• Put a jug of drinking water in the fridge – Instead of running the tap while you wait for the water to go cold, fill up a jug of water and put it in the fridge so that you have cold drinking water available all the time.
• Install a water meter – A water meter can show you exactly how much water you’re using so that you can see where you might be wasting water and how you could cut down.
• Install a water butt to your drainpipe – You can use this water to water the garden or wash your car.
• Insulate your water pipes – Insulating your pipes with foam lagging will mean your water will heat up faster, and you will waste less water while you’re waiting for it to heat up.
• Install water-efficient appliances – There are many products available to help you to reduce water usage, including water-efficient shower heads and cistern displacement devices. When it’s time to buy new appliances or refurbish the bathroom, look into more water-efficient options for your taps, toilet, washing machine or dishwasher. For example, dual-flush toilets have a split flush button so you can decide how much water to use with each flush. Some washing machines are also more eco-friendly than others, so make sure you shop around.