SIX EASY WAYS TO SAVE H20

1

POUR cold water into your tea or coffee cup first and tip this into the kettle, ensuring you only boil the water you need. Better still, buy a kettle with a cup indicator. 2

AS much as ten litres of water is wasted every day waiting for taps to run hot or cold. Instead, keep a jug or basin in the bathroom and use it to collect the unwanted water. You can use this for doing the dishes, cleaning the sink or washing your face. 3

CONSIDER flushing the toilet less often. The saying ‘if it’s yellow, let it mellow’ could save around 30 litres of water a day. Alternatively, install a ‘save-a-flush’ or water displacement device (provided free by many water companies). They displace water in the cistern so the flush is cut by one to two litres. You can also get dual flush valves (from £22, amazon.co.uk) offering a big or small flush — the latter uses 3.5 litres.

4

FIT an aerator on taps. This gadget (from £3.99, amazon. is a small metal net which draws air into the water flow, reducing the amount of liquid not the pressure. And when brushing your teeth, don’t let the tap run constantly. Just dip your toothbrush in a glass of water.

5

USE the ‘Eco’ setting on your washing machine. It may take longer, but this is because it only heats to 30c and uses around 40 per cent (20 litres) less water. Make sure your machine, like your dishwasher, is full before use. 6

GET a water butt for the garden. A barrel fitted to the drainpipe, it collects rain from gutters. A 200-litre one is adequate for most gardens (£38, wickes.co.uk). Gardening experts suggest watering plants in the evening so they absorb water through their roots. On a hot day it evaporates. Consider using waste water from the bathroom and kitchen: cooled, starchy pasta water is full of flowerbedfriendly nutrients.