Did you know that water use and energy use are connected? By reducing the amount of water you use, you could cut your energy bills as well as your carbon emissions - so you’ll be helping your wallet as well as the environment this winter. It’s a win-win!

Water - the silent user of energy

Did you know that water is a silent major user of electricity? In fact, hot water is the second largest use of energy in the home after heating, but even cold water comes at a price. Collecting, treating and piping it to homes and businesses uses energy too – and not just a few watts – over £20 million pounds worth between April 2021 to March 2022.

It’s difficult to keep count of how many times we turn on the tap – from the moment we get up to the moment we go to bed - whether it’s for showering, teeth cleaning, washing up or filling the kettle. But it’s these simple, everyday actions, often carried out without thinking, that hold the solution to cutting down on energy. As the cost of living continues to climb, there are many easy ways to use less water that could help you switch on some savings on your energy bills.

Bright ideas to help you save

From lathering up in the shower, to tackling piles of laundry and cleaning up after dinner, we rely on our household appliances day-in, and day-out, but they’re silently eating electricity. Small, everyday changes soon add up and could help you save money off your energy and water bills. Here are some to get you started:  

The four-minute shower – By keeping your shower to four minutes, a household of four could save up to £165 a year on energy bills and another £100 on their water bill if on a meter. If you fancy setting yourself a challenge, why not try to finish your shower in the time it takes to listen to a four minute track from the Waterwise shower playlist on Spotify.

The full load – Wash at 30 degrees, and cut out one washing machine cycle a week by getting an extra wear out of items and making sure you fill up the machine, and you could save around £35 a year. Go for bigger savings by using the Eco setting, if you have one, which will not only cut energy but reduce the amount of water used by up to 48 litres, which could be a saving off your water bill too.

The smarter brew – When making a cuppa, the more water you boil the more energy you use. Avoid overfilling the kettle and only boil what you need to save yourself £13 a year on your electricity bill.

Want to see even more savings? Our freebies can help you save without splashing out:

Water-saving home visits – Apply for a free water-saving home visit and one of our engineers will advise how you could use less water around your home and save money on your bills. They may also be able to fit up to £100 worth of water-efficient devices, there and then - for example by fitting a water efficient shower head that could save you £75 a year on your gas bill and £120 on your water bill.

Save-a-flush bags – If you have a pull-handle toilet, save each time you flush by popping a save-a-flush-bag in your cistern. They’re easy to fit and free for our customers.

GetWaterFit – Use our interactive GetWaterFit app to calculate how much you use – and complete water-saving challenges to earn donations for local schools and charities.

Learn more and discover other ways to save at southernwater.co.uk/save-water.  

Playing our part, and planning ahead

It’s important that we do our bit to save water and cut down on energy, which is why we’re reducing leakage across our 13,866km water network. We’re increasing the size of our leakage team and investing more than ever in new technology. 

We're also monitoring and reporting our operational emissions and taking steps to reduce them to Net Zero by 2030. Find out more and take a look at our Net Zero Plan over on the Southern Water website.