Cost of living crisis UK: Cutting energy and water costs – 5 major changes you can make today
As the cost of living crisis continues to grip the UK, many are looking on ways to reduce household bills – the bathroom is an area of the house that can rack up massive energy costs.
Water bills have risen from April 1 and the energy rebate scheme finishes at the end of April 2023.
The bathroom and the kitchen are two areas where we use a lot of water, and as the country continues to battle rising prices, we look at 5 simple home hacks that can help cut down on costs during the cost of living crisis.
These are simple and easy changes, that you can implement – and they are completely free.
Turn taps off and fix the leaky ones
One of the best-known household cost cutters is to turn off running taps when they are not needed.
A running tap can use more than 10 litres of water a minute, according to the Energy Saving Trust. So when brushing your teeth or shaving it’s best to turn off your tap. You could also consider turning off the shower whilst you lather your hair with shampoo.
Turning off taps is a great way of saving money, and soon you’ll be doing it without even thinking.
Another handy tip for taps includes making sure you fix any dripping taps and leaky shower heads, which can waste a lot of water and rack up bills. Most leaky taps can be fixed by simply tightening the washer – it’ll only take a few seconds and is completely free.
Use cold water for washing your face and showering
To save money consider using the cold tap when washing your face or even try a cold shower. Heating up water can cause your energy bills to soar, with data from the Energy Saving Trust showing that it makes up about 12% of a typical gas-heated household’s energy bills.
A cold shower is supposed to be good for you – and if you can hack it, consider giving cold water swimming a go.
Swap baths for showers and set a timer
Swapping baths for showers can save you a lot of money. In fact, the Energy Saving Trust estimates that if you swap one bath a week for a four-minute shower you reduce your energy bills by £20 a year and save £11 a year on your water bills.
According to a Yorkshire Water study, it will cost to run a bath an annual average of £1023 in 2023, up from £542.88 last year.
Setting a timer for your shower time is another really handy tip – don’t spend more than five minutes in the shower and make sure you turn the shower off when you’re finished.
And as mentioned above – consider a cold shower, or at least reduce the heat of the shower to save money.
Choosing the right toilet flushing option
Most toilets now have built-in dual flushing options – which use different amounts of water.
Another great way to save energy is to make sure to only use the option which uses more water when needed.
Clean your extractor fan
A clean extractor fan is vital for a bathroom, they are designed to extract moisture which helps prevent mould from occurring – it can end up costing a lot to fix mould problems if they get worse.
If dust particles and insects get trapped inside an extractor fan it can stop them from working properly.
You should check your fan every three months – or if it starts making strange sounds.
Give the fan a simple wipe with a cloth to keep the blades clean.