Showers or Baths
Showers have many advantages over baths:
• they are hygienic as you don’t sit in dirty, soapy water and you get continually rinsed
• they are pleasant to use. Standing under jets of water can be immensely stimulating, especially first thing in the morning
• they use a lot less water per ‘wash’ than a bath, which saves energy and is also an advantage where water softeners are in use
• economy of hot water usage means that at peak traffic times there is more water to go round
• showers take less time, they don’t have to be ‘run’, and users can’t lay back and bask, monopolizing the bathroom
• easy temperature adjustment of a shower gives greater comfort for the user and lessens the risk of catching cold in a cold bathroom.
Shower Location
You don’t have to install a shower over a bath or even in the bathroom. An en suite shower in the bedroom is one alternative site, but landings and utility rooms are another possibility. Provided a supply of water is available, the pressure head satisfactory, and the disposal of waste water possible, a shower can provide a compact and very useful house improvement in many parts of the home.
According to the study, the average eight-minute shower used 62 litres of hot water, and some power showers can use up to 136 litres, compared with an average bath’s 80 litres. These findings have been widely reported – in the Daily Mail, The Independent and the BBC, among others.
Regardless of whether you choose to shower or bath, there are simple ways to save yourself time, water and money. For example:
Fill up baths with just the amount of water you need – no need to fill right to the top
Install a water efficient showerhead – many are available for less than £30 – and the savings on your water and energy bill mean you’ll get that money back in less than a year
Take a shorter shower – by cutting two minutes off the time you spend under the water you can save about 40 quid off your combined energy and water bills annually if you’re on a water meter. (And imagine what you could do with the extra 12 hours of time this would save you every year!) waterwise.org.uk
