16th May 2024
With dry summers and water shortages, we have cut back on our use of water. We boil water for dish washing – one kettle is sufficient per wash – as this saves drawing several kettle’s worth of water from the hot water cylinder to get to the hot water. We boil water likewise for a daily body wash and then only need to heat the hot water cylinder when we shower which we typically do once a week. Showering once a week doesn’t leave us smelly or dirty! Realising this, also makes us less likely to put clothes in the laundry basket after one or two uses (although my running shirt does need regular washing). Laundering less often again reduces water – and energy – consumption.
We collect dish washing water for use on the garden when the ground is dry. Hand washing water we collect and use to quickly flush the loo – using the cistern flush as necessary.
Rain water is collected for watering the garden and for keeping the pond topped up.
Although our water is metered we have yet to have a bill based on how much we use as opposed to an estimate!