New research by Thames Water reveals that while the UK has experienced drought, the hottest summer on record in 2025, and record-breaking temperatures last month it has not led to reduced water use.

Around seven million people (13 per cent) say they are using more water year-on-year, with increased bathing, gardening, and household cleaning among the main reasons.

A further 55 per cent of adults are reporting they have made no reduction in their usage in the last year.

While the government encourages reducing water consumption to 122 litres per person per day, almost one in 10 (9 per cent) people are using their lawn sprinkler in the summer months despite one typically using up to 166 litres of water every 10 minutes.

For those using more water, the main reasons were, increased bathing and showering (28 per cent), more time spent gardening and watering plants (27 per cent) and more household cleaning (26 per cent).

In the Thames Water region, average water use is around 140 litres per person per day.. The national target aims to reduce consumption to 122 litres per person per day by 2038.

The company reported that record-breaking heat drove more than one billion litres of extra water demand across London and the South East over the second May bank holiday weekend, with usage peaking on May 25th 2026, as temperatures reached their highest point.

The research reveals water-saving habits are not being passed down the generations, with one in three adults saying they were not taught water-saving techniques (36 per cent) and were not encouraged to save water (34 per cent), while growing up.

“We can’t do this alone - important that customers and businesses work with us to save water where they can"

Andrew Tucker, Water Reduction Manager at Thames Water said:

“We’re seeing the impact of hotter, drier weather across the UK and while more people are aware of the need to save water, this isn’t always reflected in usage.

“At Thames Water we’re continuing to invest in leak reduction, smart meter installations, water efficiency and mains replacement as part of our biggest upgrade in 150 years for the benefit of our customers and the environment.

“We can’t do this alone, it’s important that customers and businesses work with us to save water where they can and play their part in protecting our vital resources.”

The survey found that the most helpful measures for people to save water in the garden include advice on efficient watering practices, landscaping techniques and drought resistant planting (18 per cent), as well as installing water butts to collect rainwater (38 per cent).

Thames Water is encouraging households to make small changes now summer has started, such as fixing leaks, turning off taps when brushing teeth, using watering cans instead of hosepipes and sprinklers, and watering gardens early in the morning or late in the evening.

The water company has installed over 1.3 million smart meters, helping identify more than 135,000 customer-side leaks and recently partnered with Origin Tech to integrate its AI satellite leak detection system, Origin Orbit®, into regular operations.

The research conducted by Opinium, amongst a representative sample of 2,000 UK adults (18+), data collected between 15-19 May 2026. Sample weighted to be nationally representative.