Using water wisely in the bathroom

Leaving the tap running while you brush your teeth wastes a surprising amount of water. Only turn the tap on when you want to rinse, or use a glass of water for rinsing instead

Try this experiment at home: put the plug in the basin before you start brushing your teeth and keep the tap running the whole time.  When you've finished, turn the tap off and mark the level of water with a pencil or lipstick (something that's easy to wash off!). 

Next time you clean your teeth, keep the tap turned off until you're ready to rinse.  Once again, put the plug in and mark the level of the water you use.  You can measure the two volumes by filling back up to the lines using a measuring jug.

Around 30% of water in an average household is used to flush the toilet.

If your toilet has a large or old cistern, fit it with a water-saving device.  They save water every time you flush.  There are lots of different types and not all of them are suitable for every toilet cistern.  A general rule of thumb is larger cisterns can take the larger cistern devices that save more water per flush, smaller cisterns can only take the smaller devices. 

However, small, modern cisterns may not be suitable for any type of water-saving device because they already use a low volume flush.  Dual-flush toilets should not be fitted with these devices.

A bath uses almost 3 times the water of a shower.

Take a shower instead of a bath - it saves water, money and time. By fitting a low-flow showerhead (not suitable for electric showers) you can save even more water - and they get you just as wet as an ordinary shower does!

Watch out for power-showers, they use as much water as a bath.