How To Save Money on Your Water Bill in 2024?

Water is one of the most essential things that we need in life, yet we take it for granted. So much so that it’s easy to forget that we pay for it. The average water bill was £408 in the financial year 2021 to 2022. This is according to Water UK, who represent the UK’s water industry.

But there are things you can do to reduce your water bills. You can take on some money saving tips without making any major changes to your lifestyle.

12 best ways to reduce your water bills and save money

1. Understand your water bill

How your bill is worked out will depend on whether you have a water meter.

• If you don’t have a water meter

The water company will use the rateable value on your home. This is set by the government and will vary depending on the location and size of your home. For every £1 of the rateable value, the water company will charge you a rate for your fresh water. They’ll also charge you a rate per £1 for your wastewater.

This means that the amount you pay will be fixed each month

• If you have a water meter

If you have a water meter, the water company will take a reading from your meter. They’ll then charge you a rate per unit you use. There’ll be two rates charged, one will be for fresh water and the other will be for wastewater.

By having a meter, you only pay for the water you use, so the amount you pay can change with each bill.

Both bills will have fixed charges added to them which cover things like pipes and running costs.

2. Check for leaks in your home

A dripping tap can not only be annoying, but if you have a water meter every drip will be adding to your water bill. Avoid wasting water and get any leaks or dripping taps fixed.

3. Install a low-flow shower head and tap aerators

A low-flow shower head helps you to use less water when you shower. Although it uses a lower flow of water, it doesn’t always mean your shower will be weak. You can buy some that use air or smaller holes to create a higher pressure.

Tap aerators can also save you money if have a water meter. These are small attachments that you insert to the spout of your tap, or you connect them onto the end of the tap. They use less water, but you don’t lose any pressure as they mix the water with air.

4. Take shorter showers

Save on the amount of water you use by spending less time in the shower. Turn it off while you soap yourself down and then turn it back on to rinse. Try to be in and out in less than 4 minutes!

5. Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth

It’s easy to forget that the tap is running while you’re brushing your teeth. But by switching it off while you brush, you’ll be saving yourself money on your water bill if you have a meter.

6. Use a bowl in the sink when washing fruit and vegetables

When you bring your shopping home, get a bowl of water ready. Wash all your fruit and vegetables in the bowl of water before putting it away. You not only save on the amount of water you use, but you also save a little time when you come to use the fruit and vegetables too.

7. Collect rainwater for watering plants or washing your vehicle

A water butt is an easy to install container that connects to your drainpipe. With the amount of rain we get in the UK, it’ll be full for most of the year. This water can be used for anything that needs water outside, from watering your plants to washing your car.

8. Reuse ‘greywater’ from laundry and dishwashing for other purposes such as flushing toilets

Once you’ve done the washing up, save the water in the washing up bowl to use of other things. If you like to rinse your plates before putting them in the dishwasher, use this water instead. It can be good for flushing the toilet with too.

9. Only use your dishwasher and washing machine when they’re full

If you put your dishwasher on when it’s only half full, you’re not only wasting water but you’re wasting energy too. The same goes for your washing machine. Wait until these appliances are full before you put them on. By putting them on less often you’ll save money on your water bill as well as on your electricity bill.

10. Consider installing a water meter to track your water usage

You have the right to ask the water company to install a water meter for you. It’s free of charge and they should install it within three months of your request. There may be reasons why your water company can’t install a meter. This might be because your property is on a shared supply or there’s not a suitable place to install it.

If the water company can’t install a meter, they should offer you an ‘assessed charge’. This is an estimate of what your water bill would be if you had a water meter installed.

11. Invest in water saving appliances when replacing old ones

If you need to replace any of your appliances around the home, buy ones that save water. You can get washing machines and dishwashers that use less water in their washing cycles. If you’re installing a new bathroom, replace your old toilet with a water saving one. And as mentioned above, use low flow heads on your shower.

12. Contact your water supply company to find out about any discounts or rebates on water bills

It’s worth getting in touch with your water company to find out if there are any discounts or rebates you’re entitled to. If you need to use a lot of water due to a medical condition, you may be able to get help. For example, you may have access to the ‘WaterSure’ scheme. This helps people with their water bills by putting a cap on how much you can be charged. But you have to meet their criteria to qualify for the scheme.

How is your water bill calculated?

The way your water bill is calculated is differs depending on whether you have a water meter.

Having a water meter means you’re charged a rate for every unit of water you use and for the wastewater. The table below gives an example of how this is worked out, it’s a simplified way of looking at it.

If you don’t have a water meter, the table below shows the calculation.

How much should your water bill be per month in the UK?

No two homes are the same with how many people live there or how they use water. The size of the house and which water supplier you’re connected to can also affect how much you pay. These are one of the reasons why there’s no set figure of how much your water bill should be. But in general, if you’re not on a water meter, your water bill should stay about the same amount. If you’re on a water meter, your bill may fluctuate but not by great amounts.

The reasons your water bill might go up include:

• You’ve had extra people staying with you using more water
• You’ve bought new appliances that are using more water
• You have a leak in one of your pipes or a dripping tap

How could the Priority Services Register help you?

The Priority Services Register is a support service that offers help to people who are vulnerable. It’s free to register but you’d have to be eligible for it. The reasons you’d be able to register include being elderly or having a medical condition.

The kind of help it provides include:

• Priority support when needed
• Providing accessible information which includes things like having bills in large print
• Providing you with bottled water if the supply has to be cut off
• Where possible, you’d get advance notice if your supply had to be cut off

Final words

There are easy ways to save money on your water bill in the UK. You can do things like take shorter showers, turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, or only use the dishwasher when it’s full. Taking time to think about how you use water on a day to day basis is worth doing. Not only can it save you money, but it can help save the planet too.

FAQs

Disclaimer: The information given above is provided for reference only. This is not financial advice.