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Saving shower water

Loobyloo2022
Posts: 2 Newbie

in Water bills
When we we’re experiencing droughts a couple of years ago I bought a couple of buckets and started saving our shower water to flush the loo with. I also bought a bowl that fits in the wash basin and saved water from washing our hands. We saw our bills drop from around £42 a month to just under £19. Needless to say we’re still saving our waste water!
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As I've said elsewhere, I use a large poly mixing jug or two and collect the run of cold water before hot comes through.Goes into an old plastic dustbin that I painted and is used for watering pots. Leaving it allows chlorine to evapourate or whatever it does.Also I have a bath. I use the water scooped into a bucket to wash the car, wash the outdoor flags and such.And you can use washing up water on established shrubs in soil or on grass during a drought.Managed to have a bath but still keep my waterbill at the lowest point. Sometimes get a credit.None is difficult once you get organised and make it a routein.
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A cubic metre of water is 220 gallons & costs around £2. We use 80 cubic metres in a year.
There is no way in the world I would be looking to save water in bowls and buckets. I think the current water charges are very reasonable.1 -
I have a small bucket that fits in the hand basin so if I am running the water to get it hot it gets used to flush the toilet rather than just go down the drain.
We used to have a Solow rate here but that was phased out to the 'bog' standard rate. You have to be on benefit to get a discounted rate nowBeing polite and pleasant doesn't cost anything!
-Stash bust:in 2022:337
Stash bust :2023. 120duvets, 24bags,43dogcoats, 2scrunchies, 10mitts, 6 bootees, 8spec cases, 2 A6notebooks, 59cards, 6 lav bags,36 angels,9 bones,1 blanket, 1 lined bag,3 owls, 88 pyramids = total 420total spend £5.Total for 'Dogs for Good' £546.82
2024:Sewn:59Doggy ds,52pyramids,18 bags,6spec cases,6lav.bags.
Knits:6covers,4hats,10mitts,2 bootees.
Crotchet:61angels, 229cards=453 £136.4spent!!!0 -
The current water charges wont stay reasonable for long ......1
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Well that depends on what you consider to be reasonable and which part of the country you live.
If I look at the running costs for my property.......council tax, electricity, gas, insurance....are all more expensive than water.0 -
How do you collect water from a shower cubicle? That is without flooding the bathroom.
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I use water from the water butt to flush the loo (except for number 2s when it gets a full flush). Water companies charge people twice for all the water they use, the first charge is for clean water coming into your property and the second is to dispose of the same amount of waste water, so you save twice. It also helps the environment by not using treated water uneccessarily to flush the loo. In my view, it's worth the minimal effort to make these savings.0
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The buckets and scooping is definitely a pain, but IMO this could be a market for plumbing to solve this - pipe water from the sink / shower drain directly into the toilet cistern. In private houses at least, its then up to the user to ensure they don't pour anything they shoudln't down those drains.
In some parts of the world they already place a sink directly on top of the toilet cistern, so its the same concept but with a bit more plumbing to move the sink to a more convenient location.1 -
subjecttocontract said:A cubic metre of water is 220 gallons & costs around £2. We use 80 cubic metres in a year.
There is no way in the world I would be looking to save water in bowls and buckets. I think the current water charges are very reasonable.
Using a 'hippo' in the cistern can reduce the flush to 3 L.
Probably the argument to use waste water to flush the toilet, is more valid from an environmental perspective/saving water, than a cost one.0 -
subjecttocontract said:A cubic metre of water is 220 gallons & costs around £2. We use 80 cubic metres in a year.
There is no way in the world I would be looking to save water in bowls and buckets. I think the current water charges are very reasonable.
Currently, the standing and flat rate surface water charges make up 55% of the bill. Assuming I cut 1m3 per year, using buckets, jugs and bowls it would have zero impact on the standing/fixed charges but would save 1p per day in water/sewage/highway drainage. Using @Loobyloo2022 figures and the cost where I live they have reduced water consumption by nearly 6m3 or 1320 gals per month, sufficient for 72 baths or 500 minutes in the shower - a very impressive result0
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