Faced with sinks overflowing with dirty dishes, floods of guests requiring cups of tea and the temptation of long soaks in a hot bath to fend off the cold outside, many a water-efficient consumer could be lured away from their good habits.
To help householders stay water-conscious, the Consumer Council for Water offers its “five fast fixes” to help cut water consumption in key areas – to be observed “more than ever” over the festive season.
Food will undoubtedly be a major theme for many over the holiday period, with the inevitable dish-washing that goes with it. Using a basin instead of leaving the tap running while dishwashing will help cut waste, while those using dishwashers are urged to wait for a full load.
The kettle will no doubt be strained as rivers of tea are poured for visitors. Filling the kettle with just enough water as is actually needed will help avoid waste.
Moving on from the kitchen to the toilet, where guests will no doubt use many litres-worth flushing the loo, installing a Save-a-Flush device is more important than ever in the festive period, CCWater points out. Even without the festive stream of visitors, an average four-person family uses up the equivalent of two baths each day just flushing the toilet.
A long hot bath may be tempting with the chilly weather outside, but a shower is the water-wise option that will also save money for metered customers and is just as warming.
Lastly, Christmas is the time to fix leaks and dripping taps along with other DIY jobs, according to CCWater – a tap dripping a drop a second can waste 15 litres a day, quite apart from the irritation it can cause.
Dame Yve Buckland, chair of CCWater, called on customers to think beyond their Christmas comforts: “Water is a precious resource which we all need to value. Taking steps to conserve your consumption not only helps the environment but will also help those with water meters cut their bills – which is something that would be very welcome post Christmas!”
Goska Romanowicz