How much energy is saved by showering?
IT’S virtually taken as a fact: having a shower instead of a bath saves on warm water – and in turn reduces the energy used to heat the water. But is that really the case?
The answer is a clear-cut yes and no.
It all depends on a number of variables. For example: how long you shower, the efficiency of your shower head and the size of your bathtub.
So it can be that the water consumption of a full bath is less than that of a long shower. Here are some figures for comparison.
Showering: A shower lasting around six minutes consumes 30 to 80 litres of water, according to the non-profit consulting company co2online.
This might be on the conservative side, if a person for example has long hair to wash and must rinse and re-rinse while using shampoo and a hair conditioner. So it might be that many people spend 12 minutes in the shower – using 60 to 120 litres.
Taking a bath: A water-conserving body-shaped bathtub – one oval or round that leaves little extra space to be filled – needs between 90 and 150 litres of water.
A conventional bathtub by contrast holds 150 to 200 litres, while large bathtubs require more than 200 litres. Corner tubs are even more voluminous, at over 300 litres.
Shower or bath?
Essentially, a shower conserves more water compared with a bath. For consumers in Europe, co2online has calculated that doing without just one bath a week using some 150 litres of water – and instead taking a six-minute shower – can save over 25 euros (RM114) in energy costs a year.
But if the shower goes beyond 10 minutes, such cost-savings will not be achieved. Germany’s Federal Environment Agency estimates that from this length of time onwards, at 15 litres of water flow per minute, the shower exceeds the water consumption of a bath.
There are, of course, ways to save energy for both showers and baths.
Tip 1: Share a bath
The per-capita water consumption for a bath can be reduced if two people bathe together. This is often the case with children, who find it fun, but also something some couples like to do.
Tip 2: Reduce the time spent in the shower
When washing your body and shampooing your hair, just turn off the water. You can also consider shaving your legs from water in a wash basin instead of in the shower with the water running.
These tips can help reduce the time spent showering – in turn conserving both water and energy. And in hot weather, you can also shower at the lowest-possible water temperature.
Tip 3: Don’t bathe or shower every day
It is hygienically unnecessary to shower or bathe every day. A lengthy shower every day even means stress for the skin, points out dermatologist Jan-Olaf Piontek, a member of the Professional Association of German Dermatologists (BVDD).