We know times are tough and saving money is important. So to help a little we are putting together some tips on saving money and energy on a few areas.

We hope you find them useful.

If you have a tip on this subject – tell us by finding the link to this item on our Facebook Page and putting it in the Comments Box below.

All - of these tips were found around the web. Put ‘Water saving tips’ in Google and you will find many more.

Brush - your teeth using a tumbler or mug of water instead of a running tap.
A running tap can waste 9 litres (2 gallons) of water a minute.

Cool – Keep some cold water in the fridge, it will save you running a tap to get a cool glass of water. Keeping your fridge full also helps it run more efficiently.
(We bought a soda-stream with our STARCARD last year. We keep the bottles of water in the fridge and we now get fizzy water for less than 5p a litre – ed)

Drip – a dripping tap can waste up to 90 litres (20 gallons) of water a week.

Eggs – If you boil eggs, don’t throw the water down the sink, save it for your houseplants. They will benefit from nutrients released from the shells.
(Not just eggs any water from boiled veg will work too – make sure you let it cool down first though - ed)

Freebies – Everyone loves a freebie! Many water companies issue Free water saving packs filled full of tips and goodies (to help you save water) Talk to yours today, or keep a watch on them for when they do.

Get - a hippo!  (For your toilet cistern). These little devices fit in the cistern to help reduce the amount of water you use every time you flush.
(It doesn’t have to be a hippo, many water companies and shops have other devices that do the same thing)

Hanging – Baskets. Look out for Water Saving Gel, and add it to the soil for your hanging baskets (or any potted plants). These ingenious gels swell up and absorb excess water, releasing it slowly over time. Not only does this reduce the amount of water you might waste when watering your prize plants, but you won’t need to water them quite so often either.

Install - a water butt in your garden. Even if you don’t want it connected to your drainpipe (or you don’t have one on your property). If it is connected it will collect rainwater. If not, just use it to put all your waste (grey) water in, for when you need to water your plants.
(Again check with your Water Company or Local Authority. Many offer deals on water butts and composters, and often a lot cheaper than you could buy elsewhere - ed)

Just - enough for one!  Only fill your kettle with the water you need, this will save you money on your electric bill too.
If you regularly boil water for one, consider one of the new hot cup machines. They only boil the water needed for a single cup or mug and often VERY fast.
(These devices are also good if you have arthritis or other problems where lifting a kettle is difficult, I can boil two cups with mine faster than my kettle did for one – ed. )

Load – your washing machine with FULL loads over half loads. 2 half loads use more water than a single full load). For lightly soiled clothes, consider a quick wash programs, these are often much faster and use less rinses – saving water and energy.
(Ours has one that does a wash in just over half an hour – perfect for those everyday items that are not really that dirty – ed)

Meter – Water meters mean you only pay for the water YOU use, not an average of all your neighbours.
(Our water bill went down by over £100 a year when we moved to a meter – ed)

New – washing machines and dishwashers can be VERY efficient in both water and energy use. 

Once - a week, is all your lawn needs watering, even the hottest weather. Over watering your grass could do more harm than good as it will not root as deeply or as strongly.

Put - down a mulch. A layer of leaves or bark chippings around your plants will help retain the moisture in your soil, so your plants need watering less often.
(They also help reduce weeds (which of course also steal water from your soil - ed).

Quick – A 5 minute shower, rather than a bath could save you buckets of water.
(Anything up to 400 litres – 88 gallons a week!)

Running – water.  If you need to run your hot water tap to get the water to temperature why not run it into a jug or two and keep it for watering your plants?
(We pour ours into our water butt, helping to keep it topped up - ed)

Spray - and sprinkle. Find the right spray settings for your plants. An even shower around the root areas is more effective than a torrent, and don’t forget most plants do not absorb water through their leaves, so don’t waste water spraying just the leaves.

Tank – If you keep fish, don’t just tip the water away when you clean the tank, and/or clean your filters. SAVE IT! This water is FULL of nitrates and phosphorous – which means excellent plant fertiliser. Your garden will thank you for it.

Use - a trigger for your hose, means you only use water when you need it, and don’t just let it run. Many DIY stores sell various versions ranging from the cheap and cheerful to luxury metal ones with numerous settings.
This could save you over 200 litres (44 gallons) a week in warm weather

Very - hot weather. During the hot weather, only water your garden or plants during the coolest times of the day (early in the morning, or late in the evening). Not only does this save your water from evaporating before your prize plants get a drink. Water droplets on leaves can act like a magnifying glass and burn them.
(We might get some hot weather, it has been known – ed). 

Water - fountains and features may look pretty, but can waste quite a lot of water. If you can’t live without yours, consider putting it on a timer, so it only runs when you are there to appreciate it.

Xeriscape - is not only a very good word for scrabble  It is a method of landscaping that uses plants and materials that need less water.  For example alpine plants often need much less water than their lowland relatives, and the use of gravel and rocks in the display not only looks very attractive it also helps retain moisture.
(if you want to know more stick 'Xeriscape' in your favourite search engine - ed)

Your - water bill. Tells you how much water you are using. Why not compare it with your neighbours over a cuppa. You could help each other work out how to save water. Or, if one is alarmingly higher than the other, and your usage is similar to theirs, it could indicate one of you may have a leak. 

Zoological Gardens – a trip to Kew or any good garden is not only a lovely day out. Many of them now have feature areas and information, showing how you can plant your garden to be more water efficient.

Some useful links

Water Companies

• Anglian Water
  
• Cambridge Water
  
• Essex & Suffolk Water
  
• South East Water
  
• Southern Water
  
• Thames Water
  

See also:

• A-Z of Tips on - Energy
  
• Credit Crunching 2 - Are your energy bills accurate?
  
• Credit Crunching 3 - Energy Saving Tips
  
• Credit Crunching 4 - Driving & Transport