How much water do you use - Is my water usage high?

[Adsibob]

I got my water bill today and on the face of the bill was a warning that said: "Your water use is high. This could mean you have a leak – we suggest you check as soon as you can, as unfixed leaks can
damage your home." There was also a bar chart provided as follows:

 

The fact that there has been a jump in the last 6 months is expected, as we did not move in until 11 May, so prior to that would just have been the builders' requirements. But the usage still seems a bit high. From 3 April to 1 October we used 69,000 litres in 6 months, or 379 Litres a day. We probably bath the kids about 5 times a week. That is a 1700 by 750 bath which has a maximum capacity of 123 litres. I doubt we fill it to more than 80 litres, although there is usually some 5 minutes of showering at the end. Say it uses 15 litres a minute = 75 litres, so that's 155 litres 5 times a week = 775 litres a week.

 

My wife and I shower daily, although twice a week we shower at the gym. We probably take 12 minute showers each, so that's 360 litres a day x 5 = 1800 litres a week.

 

So in showering and bathing we are averaging 2575 litres a week, which averages at 368 litres a day. Easily make up the additional 11 litres in washing up, hand washing, tooth brushing and, to use Thames Water favourite unit of volume, cups of tea (and coffee). Both my wife and i work from home two days a week. When the hose pipe ban wasn't in place we were also doing quite a bit of garden watering, it having been neglected for the entirity of the build.

 

So is Thames Water's message just been triggered by the sudden increase in usage, or is 379 litres a day objectively very high for a family of four (with young kids)?

[Ferdinand]

I'd say your shower will not be using 15l a minute throughout, and that quite a bit comes from elsewhere rather than showers.

 

I was thinking of a similar thread, so thanks for this.

 

Average usage for Thames is I think around 145l per person per day, so on that metric you are not doing badly on crude arithmetic.

 

For Jan-June this year, I used 160l per day. I currently live on my own in a 200 sqm house. But I did use some in the garden, and I divide general overheads by one not five.

 

The best numbers in northern Europe are I think Denmark, which uses 104l per person per day. There's a target.

 

You can probably save some water by using a dishwasher not washing up by hand. Someone will give you a flow reducer for your shower if you ask.

 

Cups of tea lol - how many football pitches is it?

 

Ferdinand

 

 

 

[SteamyTea]

Checked mine the other day  worked out at 140 Lt/day.

Considering there is only me, yours seems reasonable.

But I do like wallowing in a bath. 

Well I did, cost if electricity and the cost of water (have I ever mentioned I have the most expensive in the country), I am doing short showers, in luke warm water, just waiting till I can shiver myself dry. Saves washing a towel.

[JohnMo]

Any garden watering?

[Rowly13]

3 of us in the house. 1 being a 2 year old. We use between 200-230 litres a day. Varys from month to month between that. Was around 180 a day before we had a kid though. We only have a small toddler bath and a walk in shower for us. Might help that I've restricted the flow on that to 10lpm.

[JohnMo]

Joy of Scotland, temperature may not be as good, but water meters are rare.