Many households could cut their water use by nearly a quarter (24%), plus slash the corresponding cost from their heating bills, simply by using the technology in their installed appliances correctly. As an added bonus they could instantly achieve official residential targets for reduction of water use set for 2037, according to the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances (AMDEA). AMDEA launches its campaign to highlight the water savings that can be made today, July 29 as part of its Know Watt’s What campaign More than a drop in the ocean! – AMDEA
AMDEA advises that just by pressing the eco button on a dishwasher and washing machine, and taking a daily five-minute shower instead of a bath, many households could easily meet the goal. Using eco programmes for both dishes and laundry can save 15,000 litres a year[i], compared to ordinary cycles. And taking a short shower instead of a bath uses 40 litres less each time[ii]. In fact, each shower taken instead of a bath is saving nearly 19p in energy, that’s £165[iii] off the average home energy bill each year through less water being heated.
The average personal daily water usage is 144 litres in England, and official targets aim to cut this to 122 litres[iv] by 2037 to make better use of existing resources as the UK’s population rises. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have higher average individual usage at 180, 150 and 145 litres respectively. The total saved for those who do not already use eco programmes and take short showers could be as much as 24%[v] of a typical home’s water consumption, comfortably below the level of the England target. And adopting these measures to reduce the amount of water heated would also save enough energy to power a television 24/7 for an entire year[vi].
A study – commissioned by AMDEA as part of its award-winning Know Watt’s What campaign – found 30% of people rarely or never considered water conservation when choosing a washing machine cycle, and 25% took the same view with dishwashers.
Many respondents were also unclear about how much water an eco cycle saves and over a quarter (27%) admitted to not knowing. One in ten (10%) thought eco cycles used a little or a lot more water. When asked to select which one of three cycles they thought used the least amount of water, more than half (54%) believed eco cycles used least water, However, more than a third (37%) thought it was the quickest or hottest wash. And more than one in four admitted not knowing whether eco cycles use more, less or about the same amount of water as a non-eco cycle.
The findings come as AMDEA invites the public to visit its award-winning Know Watt’s What site which now contains valuable new content about how appliances can help reduce home water usage.
The study, conducted by YouGov[vii], also revealed the main motivator for those households concerned with saving water was the desire to reduce bills (72%) as opposed to protecting the environment (65%) or ensuring future generations’ access to adequate water (46%)
People, the survey suggested, appear oblivious to the link between running costs and water usage in washing machines and dishwashers, for which heating water is the main cost. Price and affordability scored highest with 75% as consideration factors when buying a machine, then came energy rating and running costs at 70% but only just over a third (36%) gave thought to water usage.
The majority also drastically underestimated how much water they use in their homes. Half the respondents (50%) underestimated their water usage per person by at least 30%, while 42% said they simply did not know how much water they used, even though 59% of all respondents admitted to having a water meter.
AMDEA Chief Executive Paul Hide said: “Showers, dishwashers and washing machines have become much more water and energy efficient over recent years, but it seems many people are still not taking advantage of the clever tech they have installed in their bathrooms and kitchens. AMDEA’s award-winning Know Watt’s What campaign reminds householders to make those small changes to the way they use their appliances, that can make a big difference to their domestic bills, their water consumption and the environment.”
[i] Source: AMDEA Members.
[ii] Source: Consumer Council for Water.
[iii] Power saved by having 5-min daily shower (40 litres) rather than bath (80 litres) and heating water from 19 to 37degC (Source) = 750.06kWh.
[iv] Source.
[v] Average dishwasher eco cycle saves per year (AMDEA sources: 3,175 litres) + average washing machine eco cycle saves per year (AMDEA sources:12,070 litres) + water saved by having 5-min daily shower rather than bath per year (14,600 litres) = 29,845 litres. Annual household water consumption is 144 (daily personal average) x 365 (days in year) x 2.4 (people in average UK household) = 126,144 litres.
[vi] Source for TV power usage. Typical UK TV uses 613kWh per year, running 24hrs. Average dishwasher eco cycle saves per year (AMDEA sources: 68.58kWh) + average washing machine eco cycle saves per year (AMDEA sources: 374.88kWh) + power saved by having 5-min daily shower (40 litres) rather than bath (80 litres) and heating water from 19 to 37degC (Source) = 750.06kWh.
[vii] All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,159 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 5th – 8th July 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
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