It's a sore subject Before having kids we used to average about 160-180 litres per day for the two of us. It would have been less but my wife likes a lengthy shower. Now with two kids we've peaked at 610 litres/day. They have a bath every day and there's two loads of washing for them every day too but I didn't think it would go up that much. To be fair we're both now working from home too so that won't help. I've also been providing water for the building site next door for the past few months. My wife does waste an awful lot of water though and it is the source of much household debate. Just for reference 1000 litres of water currently costs just under £1.37 for supply and £1.47 for disposal.
Currently Building Regulations in Wales mandates that new houses should be designed to prevent people using more than 110 litres per day each.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
We pay £480 per year (not metered). We bathe a few times a week but often share the water; washing machine is used maybe three times per week; dishwasher 5 times; one cuppa per day; I must use 18 litres on my pots once a week. I’ve been told we should ask for a meter but then I’d end up never bathing. I’d feel guilty!
We have high water bills in our current house, so I did a spreadsheet with all our bills to compare. In our previous home, we used 310-350l per day (2 people). In this house, it is 380-450l. The difference is mostly different toilet, shower pressure, taps + little bit more watering of the garden. I even considered changing the toilet or the flushing system. We both work from home and drink a lot of tea, so it's really mostly using the toilet.
Currently Building Regulations in Wales mandates that new
houses should be designed to prevent people using more than 110 litres
per day each.
@wild edges 'prevent'? Can you say more about this? 100 lt doesn't leave much for watering. Maybe you need less of that, given where you are. Maybe the same for Denmark - the Land of Lakes.
Is it the waste of water or money or both that bothers you?
For me - washing machine once a week; dishwasher twice; a hot bath most days (of my life's great pleasures and I don't mind paying for it; after used to water roses).
In the past few years I was heavily watering in shrubs, trees and roses to try and get them established, but that should be over now for the most part. If they can't thrive with what they have, after all this time, they will have to go.
Currently Building Regulations in Wales mandates that new
houses should be designed to prevent people using more than 110 litres
per day each.
@wild edges 'prevent'? Can you say more about this? 100 lt doesn't leave much for watering. Maybe you need less of that, given where you are. Maybe the same for Denmark - the Land of Lakes.
Is it the waste of water or money or both that bothers you?
All new houses need to have a water usage calculation based on the number and type of fixed water outlets (taps, white goods, toilet specs, bath size etc) and then this is worked out against an assumed factor of use. Toilets need to be dual flush with a low volume option, baths can't be too big, taps and showers need to have flow rate restrictions. In the calcs external water use is given a fixed figure of 5 litres/person/day but there's nothing physical to restrict outside water use. The reality of course is that no inspector is ever going to check what is actually fitted and nothing to stop people changing the fittings the day after sign off anyway.
Mostly the money at the moment. I have a 1000litre LBC right outside the utility room and toilet that I could plumb in to the washing machine and cistern. Every time we empty the tank we'd save about £3 though and it would cost about £200-£300 to get it fitted out with basic filters and pipework. I reckon it could save about £30 a year at the most so it's a long payback period. Good environmentally though I suppose.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
One aspect (in England at least) is the band assessment which the house was last given. This sets the estimated usage and so the fixed charge. Mine was set in about 1985 and assumes there are four people in the house. There is pressure to now chuck out the fixed charge so people can really pay just what they are using, instead of one person paying a charge band for four people.
I don't think people realise how much water a washing machine uses. It does vary according to the machine, but even so, it's at least 30 litres, and usually more, as indicated by @Fire's post above. In an average family, you'd use it every day. We have 3 sets of bedclothes for a start. In my last house our usage was nil because we had a private supply from a spring, but we also had no recycling facility, despite the fact it was easier to access than many properties in the nearby hamlet. Swings and roundabouts.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
We pay £480 per year (not metered). We bathe a few times a week but often share the water; washing machine is used maybe three times per week; dishwasher 5 times; one cuppa per day; I must use 18 litres on my pots once a week. I’ve been told we should ask for a meter but then I’d end up never bathing. I’d feel guilty!
But you must drink more than one cup of liquid a day … is that water from the mains … or do you only drink the likes of beer, G&T, Diet Coke, Lucozade etc?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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In our previous home, we used 310-350l per day (2 people).
In this house, it is 380-450l.
The difference is mostly different toilet, shower pressure, taps + little bit more watering of the garden.
I even considered changing the toilet or the flushing system.
We both work from home and drink a lot of tea, so it's really mostly using the toilet.
In my last house our usage was nil because we had a private supply from a spring, but we also had no recycling facility, despite the fact it was easier to access than many properties in the nearby hamlet. Swings and roundabouts.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.