Greening your home for less - Bathroom basics

Taking greening... literally

Usually the one place in your house that you won’t find a (traditional) plug socket, you might not think of the bathroom when it comes to energy saving. But, aside from the obvious water savings (which can still save you money if your water is metered!), there are plenty of ways to cut your carbon footprint by heating less water, switching to LED light bulbs and making plastic-free swaps.

So, water you waiting for? Time to make some savings.

Are you inadvertently splashing the cash?
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According to Waterwise, "about 20% of a typical gas-heated home’s heating bill comes from heating water for showers, baths and the hot water tap". Here are plenty of ways to cut your usage down:​

• A shower is much more energy efficient than a bath. The average bath uses 80 litres of water vs an average of 5-10 litres per minute in the shower! A 4-minute shower is ideal. Why not time yourself or pick a 4-minute shower song? 
• If you do opt for a hot bath (self care is important!), leave the water in the bath to heat up your home instead of it going straight down the drain. However, use this method with precaution if you have problems with damp at home.
• Sometimes you need to wait a little for the water in your shower or bath to run warm. Why not collect the cooler water in a bucket and use it to water your plants? Simply remove the bucket once full, or once the water is hot enough.
• If you live in London, order water-saving freebies from Thames Water. A water-saving shower head can reduce water usage from 10 litres per minute to 6 per minute, without affecting the water pressure (they aerate your running water to create an even spray).  This will make your 4-minute shower even more efficient! Find out more in our water-saving blog post.

​Sink to new lows

• When cleaning your teeth, turn off the tap while you brush. A running tap uses 6 litres of water per minute!
• Fix any leaks and dripping taps for better water saving. A dripping tap can waste around 5,500 litres of water a year! Learn more about your leaks in this blog post.

Don't flush your money away

• Dual toilet flushes are good for saving water if they are working properly. They typically use 4-6 litres of water compared to the 13 litres per “traditional” flush.
• However, your water-saving efforts could all be for nothing if your toilet is leaking! Leaky loos can waste between 200 and 400 litres of water a day. The good news is, they are usually easy to fix and your water company may even fix your leak for free!​

​Squeaky clean savings

• Did you know many bathroom cleaning products contain harsh chemicals that end up in our natural water systems? Household items including vinegar, lemon and baking soda can clean just as well and usually for much less money. For example, vinegar is great for removing scale on taps and shower heads:
  • Soak a cloth or cotton wool in vinegar and attach it with a rubber band to an item covered with scale (shower head etc.) Remove after a couple of hours, scale should dissolve.
  • A mix of vinegar and water in a spray is also great for cleaning mirrors and windows. Some people don’t like the smell of vinegar, but it’s safer than the harsh cleaning products that you might inhale while cleaning. Why not give it a try?
• If you’re not ready to completely switch to these alternatives, why not try a refill service like Fill, or your local bulk store?

​Plastic, not so fantastic

• Our bathrooms are one of the worst rooms in the house for plastic use. Soap bars usually last longer than shower gel and their packaging is usually more readily recyclable. If you’re feeling more adventurous you can even try shampoo and conditioner in bars.
• If you choose to buy bath or cleaning products in plastic containers, make sure they are recyclable and that they are made from recycled material (at least in some percentage). Wandsworth and Merton residents can get them refilled at Zero in Wimbledon or The Source Bulk Store in Clapham Junction. 

Bigger picture items

• Choose LED bulbs for your bathroom, but only once your existing bulbs have burned out. The most sustainable products are those you already own!
• Insulate your hot water tank, some new water tanks can be already well insulated, but if your tank feels warm on the outside it might need additional insulation. It can save energy, but also cut your bills by an estimated 7 to 16%. Find out more here.

Have you already started making these changes, or got another suggestion? Tell us your top tips in the comments!