Water Consumption In The UK: Who & What Is Using The Most Water?
Ever wondered where your water actually comes from? How it’s supplied to you? Ever wondered what the effect of taking a weekly bath can have on the environment? Here in the UK, we are pretty much guaranteed a continuous water supply, however according to an Environment Agency report published in May 2018, “Rivers and wildlife could be left without sufficient water unless action is taken to reduce water use and wastage.”
With our water supplies being tested the last few months due to the heatwave, here at Love2Laundry we wanted to look into the UK’s water consumption. Specifically, who is using the most water, and which household appliances are using the most water.
So Who and What Is Using The Most Water?
Thames Water is the biggest supplier of water in the UK. The company supplies 2.7 billion litres of water every day to their 15 million customers. Although this is a staggering amount of water, considering they’re supplying to 15 million customers doesn’t seem too bad, especially when Severn Trent water are supplying 1.8 billion litres of water every day to 4.3 million customers.
Did you know that in Britain, on average, we use 141 litres of water per person per day? Amongst that statistic, water usage is highest for baths, with the average bath consuming 80 litres of water per use!
To determine who is using the most water across the UK, as well as which household appliances use the most water, we’ve looked at the water companies across the UK and which areas they cover. Looking at the water companies, we’ve compared the total amount of water the companies supply to their customers per day versus the amount of customers they have (population). The average daily water consumption (per person) of those customers has also been compared across 2015 to 2018. Check out our findings below, as well as some interesting facts!
Who Has The Highest Water Consumption?
Daily Water Usage in Litres (Per Person)
The below graph outlines the daily water usage (in litres) for each water company’s customers over the last three years.
Total Litres Supplied (Daily) Vs Customer Base
The below graph outlines the total amount of water (in litres) which is supplied on a daily basis to customers.
The below graph outlines the total litres supplied (daily) by each water company and then compared to each company’s customer base.
What Is Using The Most Water?
The below graph outlines the average water consumption of household appliances in the United Kingdom in 2018, where the consumption is measured in litres per use.
Experts Reveal - Top Tips For Saving Water
Water consumption is something that everyone should be aware of and where water supply shouldn’t be taken for granted. To help the UK find effective ways to save water in their home and to be aware of the potential issues surrounding water consumption, we got in touch with some experts for their advice on the following question:
What would be your best advice/tip for saving water in the home?
David Hartley - PR Executive
“The East of England is the driest region of the country, so encouraging our customers to be water efficient is something we do all year round; we even put it on our logo – Love Every Drop – in 2010. We are always encouraging customers to be water wise and helping them to save water and save money at the same time.
Some of our top tips include; turning the tap off when brushing your teeth, having shorter showers, fixing leaking pipes or taps, only filling the kettle to the amount you actually need, or even putting your appliances onto their eco setting. Despite not sounding like a lot, the little things add up to make a big difference and will not only help us look after the precious droplets, but look after your wallet too. A win-win for everyone!”
Karen Gibbs - Senior Policy Manager for Environmental Research
“Avoid using the half-load settings when using your washing machine or dishwasher – half loads actually use more than half the energy and water of a full load!”
“Reducing the temperature on your washing machine by just 10 degrees could cut the energy it uses by 40%.”
“Time to replace your home appliances? If you’re thinking of buying a new washing machine or dishwasher, look for products with the new water label as these models can help you to save water, energy and money.”
“Take shorter showers – Reducing your daily shower time from 10 minutes to around 4 minutes will save more than 300 litres of water every week. For every minute less you spend in the shower, you could save up to 8 litres of water.”
“Install a water-saving shower head – these clever devices can cut the amount of water used by about 30 per cent. Most water companies offer a wide range of free water-saving devices so give your supplier a call or check their website.”
“Replace worn washers on leaky taps – A dripping tap in your home can waste over 5,000 litres of water a year – that’s enough to fill a paddling pool every week of the summer. If you are on a water meter it could also add about £20 to your annual water bill.”
“If you don’t have a dual flush toilet, installing a water displacement device such as a hippo could save up to 3 litres every flush and as much as 5000 litres of water each year. Most water companies offer these free of charge so get in touch with your supplier.”
Interesting Facts
Source: https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/blog/how-much-is-the-average-water-bill-per-month
Source: https://www.discoverwater.co.uk/where-water-comes-from
Source: https://www.phoxwater.com/blogs/water/bottled-water-statistics-uk
Sources
- https://www.anglianwater.co.uk/about-us/fast-facts-file.aspx
- https://annualreport.southernwater.co.uk/media/1792/annualreport_2017_18.pdf
- https://www.bristolwater.co.uk/about-us/the-company-today/
- https://www.ccwater.org.uk/blog/2018/07/17/water-watchdog-responds-to-united-utilities-hosepipe-ban/
- https://corporate.southeastwater.co.uk/media/2496/13208-sew-ppp-report-2018-aw.pdf
- https://corporate.thameswater.co.uk/-/media/Site-Content/Thames-Water/Corporate/AboutUs/Investors/Annual-report/2018/2017-18-Annual-Report-and-Annual-Performance-Report.pdf
- https://discoverwater.co.uk/amount-we-use
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