Water use

Did you know that the average person in Britain uses 155 litres water a day? This figure has risen dramatically in the past 30 years and looks set to continue to climb.

However, there are many ways you can reduce water consumption without too much effort.

In the home

• Turn the tap off when you are cleaning your teeth, shaving or washing your face. You can waste up to 9 litres a minute by just letting the water pour down the sink.
• Try fitting a "hippo" or other water saving device in the cistern of your toilet – it reduces the amount of water used in every flush. They are often available free from your water company. This can save you about 3 litres every flush.
• If you buy a new toilet consider a dual flush model. These use about four litres on the lower flush and six on the full flush. Some use even less than this.
• Fix dripping taps and check your home for leaks. Did you know that 10 drips per minute from a leaking tap wastes 3,000 litres of water a year?
• Take a short shower rather than a bath. This could save up to 400 litres a week.
• Always run the washing machine and dishwasher with a full load so that you do fewer cycles per week. It wastes both water and energy.
• Wash your car using a bucket and sponge rather than a hose as this will save a lot of water. You can even buy special car wipes that don't need any water.

In the garden

• Use a watering can rather than a hose because you can water more accurately - and if you have to carry the water you will be more choosy about where you pour it.
• If you do use a hose make sure it has a trigger nozzle so you can't leave it running unattended.
• Instead of using a sprinkler, leave your lawn to grow a little longer in summer as that helps it conserve its own moisture. A sprinkler can use as much water in an hour as a family of four could use in a day.
• Your lawn only needs watering once a week, and when you do, water the garden in the evening or the morning (when it is not as warm) to minimise evaporation.
• Install a water butt to gather rainwater – rainwater is better for your plants than tap water, and water butts are easy to install. This will mean that you will always have water to use for watering the garden without the need to use fresh water from the hose. Great if you are on a water meter as you will save money too. There are many retailers who offer competitive prices for water butts, so do shop around for yours. Yorkshire water offers deals onwater butts. You can call 0844 600 8944 to order, or go to www.yw2u.com