Water Saving Overview
As environmental regulations get tighter, new builds and modifications to existing buildings are having to meet increasingly stricter guidelines. Many of these relate to water usage and recycling, rainwater harvesting and waste water disposal.
Saving water is a small change that anyone can make to an existing set up that will not only help save the environment but will also save you money. Simple changes like taking a shower instead of a bath, turning off the tap whilst you are brushing your teeth or putting the washing machine on a shorter cycle will all help you achieve savings; and there are of course technological solutions that can seamlessly fit into your everyday life.
Flow Regulators and Restrictors
Flow regulators have been in use for many years as an efficient and affordable method of reducing water usage. As the technology has developed the savings for user have become greater; where recorded these savings are always in excess of 25% when compared to the original set-up without a flow regulator fitted. The regulators can also be fitted to a water supply where there is likely to be multiple outlets so that in times of peak demand an even water flow can be guaranteed throughout the premises.
As the benefits of these products have become more widely known, they are now, more often than not, included within the design of combi boilers, electric showers and thermostatic showers. Worldwide, production of these units now exceeds 50 million units per year, saving millions of gallons of water from going to waste.
The greatest savings, in terms of cost, will be made if the flow regulator is incorporated into the original design rather than retrospectively fitted however both have been proven to dramatically reduce costs for the end user.
With flow regulators available for both domestic and commercial installation they are suitable for any property and provided that they are installed correctly and in line with the manufacturers will have a large impact of water consumption.
Water Meters
If you have a water meter, cutting down your water usage will have an immediate impact on your bills. Of course, by having a water meter you are already only paying for the exact amount of water that you use rather than being billed based on the rateable value of your home. Any reduction in usage is going to have an immediate impact on your bill. By thinking about how much water you are using and fitting technology that enables you to cut down further, you’ll soon see your payments reduce.
Even if you don’t have a meter, using water efficiently and cutting down on the amount of hot water you use will lower your gas and electricity bills. It will also reduce the amount of climate-changing greenhouse gases that are released from your property into the atmosphere.
