A water efficiency project trialled in Sheffieldby Yorkshire Water has helped save 400 homes 8,000 litres of water each per year thanks to free water saving devices fitted in each home.

The ‘Fit2Save’ project is part of efforts by the firm to manage water demand in the region and reduce the average amount of water customers consume, which is currently 155 litres of water per day.

By cutting down water consumption, the 400 homes involved managed to reduce their annual water bill by an average of £24.77 if on a meter.

Yorkshire Water technicians visited all the homes to install up to 10 water saving devices, which included shower timers, water butts for the garden and specially designed shower heads. During the visit any minor leaks from toilets or dripping taps were also identified and repaired.

Sheffield was chosen as the trial area following the long dry summer of 2018, in a bid to keep the city supplied from the same water sources they are used to. Yorkshire Water’s grid system had to be utilised to top up Sheffield’s supply during the summer heatwave which tastes slightly different.

Adrian Flanagan, the ‘Fit2Save’ campaign lead at Yorkshire Water, said:

“Water is a finite resource that should not be taken for granted, which many people are starting to slowly realise. Due to climate change and growing populations the risk of water shortages in the coming decades is very real unless as a society we start to use water more efficiently in our homes.

“Our Fit2Save trial in Sheffield will save a total of 3,186,092 litres of clean drinking water per year, every year. Simple devices, such as tap adaptors and shower regulators, can really make a difference and cut down water usage without impacting on people’s everyday lifestyles.”

Further ‘Fit2Save’ trials are scheduled to take place in Rotherham, Halifax and Barnsley before the project is rolled out across the region.