New research shows that more than half of English households are using less water to save money on rising energy bills during the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite.

Research released by Thames Water and YouGov reveals that more than half (56%) of adults in England have taken action to reduce the amount of water they use this year.

Three quarters (76%) of those who have cut their water use said saving money was their main motivation to use less water.

Adults in England are cutting back by turning the tap off when brushing their teeth (71%), only putting the dishwasher and washing machine on when they are completely full (68%) and reducing the time they spend in the shower by a minute (28%).

However, over a third still haven’t explored the opportunity on how to cut their bills further. Thames is highlighting there is a still an opportunity for millions of households to bring down their bills further by taking some simple steps to reduce water use. Using less water also impacts energy bills because households aren’t using as much gas or electricity to heat their water.

Thames Water is sharing its water saving tips as its survey of 2,000 households also found that, while almost half (46%) of those surveyed think they are already doing all they can to reduce the amount of water they use, over a third (37%) still haven’t explored the opportunity to cut back.

Andrew Tucker, Water Demand Reduction Manager at Thames Water, said:

“We know that times are tight for many households at the moment, and we want to make sure all our customers can get the support they need. Heating water for showers, baths, taps and appliances adds up to be the second biggest part of the average household energy bill. Some simple straightforward water saving actions can have a significant impact on bills, saving hundreds of pounds a year - and helping protect the environment, too.”

Tips Thames Water is suggesting include:

• Take shorter showers. On average, a shower uses around 10 litres of water a minute. That means a 10-minute shower can use 100 litres of water. If a family of four reduced their shower time by just one minute, they could save up to £45 on metered water bills and a further £52 on energy bills every year.
• Turn off the taps when doing the washing up or brushing your teeth - a running tap can use six litres of water a minute.
• Fix leaking loos and dripping taps. Leaking loos are usually caused by a faulty flush valve or fill valve inside the cistern tank. A leaky loo can waste an average of around 400 litres of water a day - equal to five full bathtubs or around £350 a year.
• Go for the full load. Wait until there is a full load before running the dishwasher or washing machine. This will not only save on the amount of water used, it will also lower energy use

Andrew Tucker added:

“Most water suppliers provide help for vulnerable households and I’d urge anyone who’s struggling to pay their water bill to find out what support is available. For example, low-income households in the Thames Water region can register for discounted tariffs through the WaterHelp scheme, which provides a 50% discount if your household income is below £16,480 outside of London and below £20,111 in London. More than 270,000 households have already signed up.”

Nicci Russell, MD of UK water saving NGO Waterwise, commented:

"The cost-of-living crisis is having a huge impact on many of us and saving water is one of the most straightforward things we can all do to reduce our water and energy bills. We are really pleased to see Thames Water reaching out to its customers at this challenging time to help them save water and save money and to highlight the support available to those who might be struggling with their water bills".