General Chat

Any water saving tips? Add and now electricity. see enad of thread

When I want hot water from the tap for washing up etc, I fill a 1.5 litre bottle from the hot tap first and then maybe also a half litre bottle (The tap runs cold for two litres before turning warm) I use this to water the garden.

I make my coffee in a cafetiere with ground coffee. When what remains in the jug after it goes cold I add a small amount of cold water (enough to rinse out the pot) then I water the roses with that.

does anyone else have any tips? :-)

I’m boiling a kettle for washing up then tip it into a bucket for evening watering. ( unless we had fish)

Washing up water can go on the garden as well, the roses like washing up liquid as it's supposed to keep off aphids.

If you have shower, a bucket can collect run off.

Bathwater can be used to fill toilet cisterns.

Do not keep water running when cleaning your teeth.

If you have more than 1 toilet, make one liquids only and reduce amount of water in the cistern by placing something in it eg. a brick or something that size. On our toilets we have 2 buttons, press one its a normal flush, the other is a much reduced amount.

Any idea if boiling the kettle is more expensive than using the heated out of the tap. But a good idea re the washing up water. I do, when I think before I tip the bowl, carry the bowl out and put that on the large shrubs (when it has cooled.
I don't hand was up that often because I have read several time that it is more economic to use the dishwasher than washing up several times a day. Best if the dishwasher is full (that for those who have a dishwasher).

I have read that about a shower and a bucket but to me having a bucket in the shower is an accident waiting to happen. well maybe that is because I have an over bath shower but a bucket in the bathe would be quite dangerous I think.

Bath with a friend ;-)

Wash up once a week (joking)

Have strip washes rather than shower and wash hair every day (logic?)

I don't understand the bucket in the shower suggestion - where and how?

I pour surplus water eg from the kettle into a large milk container in the kitchen then outside into a watering can for the garden.

We collect our water from bathroom sink and shower. Use it for plants.

We have disconnected the pipe that went into the drain and added another pipe that takes water into a receptacle outside.

You can apparently use washing machine waste water too. I would check on the chemicals in your washing powder/liquid first though. No good introducing micro plastics into the soil. :-(

Good idea re from the kettle Island, must remember before I empty it down the sink. difficult to form new habits and break the old.

I did see once that water in the bowl after peeling/scraping potatoes is good to put on the garden.

I don't really understand the bucket in the shower either.

I do strip wash and don't shower every day, have done that for a few years now. since we went on a water meter

I could only bath with a friend if said friend was able to get me out of the bath! Can't remember the last time I had a bath. Our previous bath had handles on the sides and was easy to get up and out, this bath which is shaped wider at the shower end is very hard to grip (no handles). Since OH got stuck and I had to pull him up to get him out about three years ago, neither of us had baths.

I assumed the bucket in the shower was to catch the water whilst running it to get the hotter water. Just don’t think I could carry it downstairs.

I keep reading that disabled people on the water company’s register may apply to use a hose pipe. Just worry about how. The neighbours would think.

I think 'bath with a friend' was just a slogan Ann? I never called on a friend, even when flat sharing.
I haven't had a bath for ages either as much as I would like to lie back and relax, the getting up and out rather cancels out the relaxation.

Von, that's a great idea to divert the drain pipe.

Living on my own its if it yellow let it mellow ,if it’s brown flush it down !

Sooo I dont flush every time , but a few times a day and definitely not leave over night ! :-P

You don't leave the bucket in but remove as you get in the shower, it's only for the run off at the start - our shower takes sometime to get the hot water through.


If you can't carry it downstairs use the water from the bucket to help fill up the cistern.

Ann, if your hot water is fed from a tank in the loft , not a good idea for making refreshments.....impurities can get in the tank...
I use used bath. shower water for the garden , as the bath is upstairs, I do use a garden hose to siphon it down.....also any rinsing water is used on the garden.....rather than run it down the drain..

When our water is cut off I fill the bucket from the water butt. I then use it to dilute or a big pour if needed.

I couldn’t understand why it was empty so quickly once. Only to discover OH had poured it into the cistern where it went all in one go.

Like others, I limit the number of 3 minute showers, I have, use the 'run off' of cold water, when doing the dishes, to water the garden, and don't flush unless it's necessary.

I also only use the washing machine when I have enough laundry for a full wash.

We get a lot of rain up here in the Pennines, however when our water butts are running low, I sometimes shower with 1 foot in a washing up bowl, the water collects better. Transfer the water to a bucket to use in the garden. Even 1 bucket a day can help.
We don't need to run much water to get hot, it's stored in the tank. So bathroom water is used as it comes from the tap. Kitchen sink seldom needs hot water, we use a small dishwasher once a day, during daylight as we have solar panels.
As we have metered water, we are always aware of what we are using, and in fact use almost half the amount of the average retired couple.

On the subject of getting in and out of a bath, OH likes a good soak but hadn't had a bath for ages because, even with handles, he couldn't get out again.

I investigated these bath seats, but they are very expensive and on top of the purchase price you have to have them professionally connected to the electricity supply - not cheap as there are no sockets in a bathroom. Then I found an inflateable one at a much more reasonable price and bought him one for Christmas, birthday, wedding anniversary, next Christmas etc!! :-) You blow it up, sit on it, let it down into the bottom of the bath and blow it up again when you want to get out.

He has a good soak once a week and, so far, our electricity bills haven't gone mad because of it. If anyone is interested, I have put the link below.

https://www.completecareshop.co.uk/bathroom-aids/bath-lifts

It's the Mangar Bathing Cushion, but I see they have several other battery operated gadgets which are a lot cheaper and weren't there when I bought ours.

My thoughts are build more reservoirs not houses. simples. :-D

Pray for Rain!!!

Ah bucket in the bath for shower run off not necessary here then as I get instant hot with my shower.