People in Bath have been offered advice to help save water and cut their water bills all while keeping their garden thriving as part of Water Saving Week.
Bath-based Wessex Water is sharing its top tips for creating an attractive garden without resorting to sprinklers and hosepipes, which typically use 540 litres of water per hour, which is more than an average family of four uses in a day.
Watering cans are more efficient at targeting plant roots and using one instead could save you £70 on your bill if you’re a Wessex Water customer on a meter.
Other tips for a thriving, water-efficient garden this summer include:
- Cut your grass on a higher setting – longer grass means longer roots which can reach water from deeper in the soil.
- Let your lawn go brown – it will soon recover when it rains again.
- Install a water butt – plants prefer rainwater over tap.
- Reuse – save water from paddling pools, cooking or when taps run hot for your plants.
- Shop smart – choose plants that thrive in dry weather like lavender, verbena or geranium.
- Mulch – use organic material in your flowerbeds and pots to retain moisture.
It’s not just outdoors where smart water savings can be made. In the bathroom, reducing a 10-minute shower to four minutes could save a family of four 4,380 litres of water and £1,200 a year on their metered bill.
Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth typically saves £130, while a leaking toilet wastes more than 200 litres a day and could be costing you around £270 annually.
Wessex Water has more advice and a handy water-saving calculator tool online. For more information, visit wessexwater.co.uk/savingwater.