How much water do you use

RavingMad

UU tells me that a 4 person household uses 450l a day. We used 288l so in my mind, we're doing well.  We flush every time, we power wash the cars, we do laundry and dishwasher whenever we want, shower/bathe every day (sometimes twice )

All for £54 a month (up from £43)

But what if that 450l is ancient data? What's to say it's not 200l a day that's the average? I don't go around asking friends and families what they use. So I'll ask here instead 

Does anyone here limit their water usage?

pseudodox

UU tells me a single household averages 150l per day.  That must mean a lot of much higher usage to balance out my 50-55l per day as per my recent bills.  I recycle as much water as possible, shower the continental way (wet, turn off, soap/shampoo, rinse).  Don't flush every time (easier when you live alone), wash up every 3 or so days & throw bowlful onto garden.  Washing when I have a full load (maybe 2/3 times a month).  Wash the car from a bucket when it's raining so it gets rinsed for free!  It's the way I was brought up, just natural habit so don't feel I am making conscious efforts.  Annual bill (before recent rises) a tad under £200.  Worth every penny as I appreciate a constant supply of clean potable water on tap 24/7 & don't have to walk 5 miles to a filthy waterhole with a jerry can on my head!

MattMattMattUK

Averages are kind of pointless, even on a per person household basis. My average is 94 litres a day, I shower an average of 11 times a week at home, dishwasher 2-3 times a week, run the washing machine 6-7 times a week, always flush etc. but as above other people will use considerably less and I have friends who are using 200L + as a single person household. Just make sure yours is as low as you are comfortable with.

pseudodox

MattMattMattUK said:

Averages are kind of pointless, even on a per person household basis. My average is 94 litres a day, I shower an average of 11 times a week at home, dishwasher 2-3 times a week, run the washing machine 6-7 times a week, always flush etc. but as above other people will use considerably less and I have friends who are using 200L + as a single person household. Just make sure yours is as low as you are comfortable with.

Totally agree.  The actual water is cheap for a 24/7 supply, although I do slightly resent they charge me for disposing down the drain of exactly the same volume as I draw, when a lot of it gets recycled on the garden or gets used to flush the loo.  But I don't have sleepless nights about every last drop.  I had an old aunt who was put onto a water meter and would not allow anyone to wash up for her in more than an inch of water.  The bowl then got drained into a bucket which she carried to the bathroom to flush the loo.  Washing hands after using loo meant another inch in a bowl, which was also then tipped into the bucket. The crowning glory one day was when I realised the cup of tea she just made me was from water she had poured into the kettle from her copper hot water bottle!  Yuk!

subjecttocontract

We are 2 people, large 5 bed house, water consumption 80 cu/metres a year (219 litres a day).

magpies79

We've used 29cu/metres in 7 months 2 adults and 2 kids don't use power washer to clean cars just go to car wash every now and then no plants to water we don't take baths.

matelodave

Two of us at home all day, take showers no baths, dishwasher 3-4 times a week and washing machine approx 5 times a week, wash two cars and a caravan occasionally. We also have an automatic garden watering system in operation from April to September and our consumption is around 75cum a year (205 litres a day)

We could probably reduce that by quite a bit of we shut off the watering system.

Anglian Water only charge to take away 90% of the water we use

QrizB

For half the year we're a three-person household, for the pther half we're a four-person one (one child is away at uni). As a household we collectively use between 220 and 280 litres a day, on average.

GingerTim

One-person household, 88 litres a day.

subjecttocontract

Larger gardens, keen gardeners, auto watering & sprinkler systems, hot tubs/ pools etc or lack of them can make a huge difference to consumption. I think it's very difficult to generalise. Id suggest the OPs 288 litres per day is just about on the mark where I'd expect it to be.

mmmmikey

One person household, have been using 205l per day which seems excessive. So have started monitoring to see where it goes. I put a water meter like this (which I had previously used to check my washing machine) in line with the toilet supply pipe last week. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KBQKQ0W?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_3&th=1

Today's job is testing a water flow sensor prior to installing a number of them at taps etc. and monitoring them in the same way I monitor energy in Home Assistant.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077TNHCWG?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Will order the bulk of them off AliExpress - much cheaper than Amazon. It will be some time before they pay for themselves, but an interesting project for a techie like me and will help me understand where any potential for saving exists and how effective is it.

My biggest use is toilet flushing (which I am now metering) where I've averaged 91l per day over the last week. I have Crohn's disease which means lots of flushing. Limited scope for reducing this hygeinically so I'm looking to start using rainwater for this. I already have the underground 3000l tank installed and a good supply of clear, filtered water. To get this working I need to install a pump and backup system so I can keep flushing when the tank's empty. Fairly straightforward but strictly regulated to ensure there's no possibility of the rainwater flowing back into the public water supply. I'm just about to install a new bathroom which makes it a good time to get everything connected up.

Another big user is the water softener, which uses about 30l per day to do a back-flush each night. Having checked the specs and manual I reckon I can reduce this to once a week (or possibly once a fortnight) which will save a lot.

Beyond that I'm not sure, but by using the rainwater for the toilet, playing with the water softener settings and generally having a better awareness of where the water goes I reckon a saving of about £200 per year is achievable - well worth having.

Anyway, the software has just finished loading and if I blow through the water sensor I get a volume in litres on my smart phone. Off to put it in series with the toilet water meter now to see if they read the same.....