It is not obvious how our water use contributes to our carbon footprint. Our use of water contributes to our carbon footprint in a few ways: it needs to be treated and transported to us and then heated when we want hot water. All this requires energy and adds to our carbon footprint. On top of this, we face water shortages in the future. By 2030, demand for water is expected to outstrip supply by 40%. The tips below will show how easy it is to save water, cut your carbon footprint and save money.

Buy a toilet ‘hippo’

A toilet hippo is a small toy that is placed in the cistern, and it can be bought anywhere. It costs only a few pounds and saves 3 litres of water every time you flush the toilet. This reduces your water bill and each hippo saves 1.6kg of carbon emissions a year. It is estimated that if everyone did this in Britain, 650,000 tonnes of carbon emissions would be saved a year.

Buy an aerated shower head and have shorter showers

An aerated shower head uses less water than a normal shower head but feels like the same amount because of its design. This means less heated water is needed for your shower and cut a quarter of a ton of carbon emissions a year for a family of four. By cutting shower time to under 5 minutes can save £400 a year by reducing water and heating bills.

Fix leaks and turn off taps

Leaky toilets are a huge scandal as they waste 215-400 litres of water a day. The average person uses 143 litres of water a day, so it is the equivalent of two extra people living with you! If the internal valves of the toilet do not work, water dribbles down the back of the toilet. It is worth checking and fixing your toilet as it has a big impact on your water usage and carbon footprint. Also, a running tap wastes 6 litres of water a minute, so remember to switch off the tap when brushing your teeth.

Use the dishwasher rather than handwashing

Using the dishwasher rather than handwashing saves 6000 litres a year and not pre-rinsing dishes before they go in the dishwasher saves another 1000 litres. If you are going to handwash your dishes, wash them in a bowl full of water instead of under a running tap.

Fully load the washing machine and dishwasher

Fully loading your dishwashing and washing machine will save money on water and energy bills.

Buy a water butt

A water butt in the garden collects rainwater which you can use to water your plants. You can add a rainwater diverter to your guttering downpipe to make it easier to fill your water butt.

Invest in a rain harvester

It is worth exploring whether to invest in a rain harvester if you want to reduce your reliance on the mains and reduce your water bill. A rain harvester can reduce your water bill by 40% a year by providing ‘grey water’ used for toilet flushing, washing machines and watering the garden.