Brits are wasting £915 million each year simply by leaving the shower running before getting in, new research has revealed.
The survey of 2,000 adults, conducted by Triton Showers, found the average person spends 11 minutes under the water each day, with 43% claiming to spend longer than necessary. This comes despite more than a quarter (28%) regularly considering water waste when rinsing.
Triton’s own research discovered that running an 11-minute mixer shower uses 132 litres of water, which typically requires 5.8 kWh of energy to heat it, while running an electric shower for the same duration will use around 54 litres of water, which equates to 1.9 kWh of energy.
Taking shorter showers led the list of tactics taken to reduce water usage in the shower (44%), followed by not showering every day (27%), turning off the shower when doing another activity like brushing teeth (27%) and fixing drips and leaks immediately (19%).
The data also revealed that 33% only have a rough idea – or less – about the amount of money they are washing down the drain with each shower. In fact, almost half (48%) cited saving money as the primary motivating factor to take shorter showers.
Daniel Lintell, sustainability manager at Triton Showers, says: “The nation finds itself in an unprecedented situation whereby, while the topic of water scarcity has never been more prominent, energy and water bills are exponentially rising too. As a result, it is crucial that homeowners are aware of the steps that can be taken to avoid wasting water and facing unnecessarily high bills.
”Not only do we have a responsibility to actively reduce our own carbon footprint and impact on the environment, but the nation’s as a whole. We have invested significantly in our sustainability journey over the years, as part of our goal of achieving net zero by 2035, and initiatives like our online calculator play a vital role in empowering residents to play their part.”
To help end-users reduce their bills when showering, Triton’s easy-to-use online calculator provides hints and tips around reducing water and energy consumption – specifically tailored to their household.
By inputting the number of people in a household, the number of showers per week per person, average duration and temperature and the shower type, the calculator provides users with estimated annual water and energy costs. It also outlines the potential savings users could make by either showering for three minutes fewer or adding a flow regulator.
Discover more about Triton’s energy & water savings calculator.
