Save Money- Save the Environment

Local MP, Adrian Sanders, is today continuing his campaign for cheaper water bills by calling on Torbay constituents to save money whilst helping the environment.

Adrian Sanders said:

“Conservation of water and money are not mutually exclusive and in saving money local residents can also help stave off a hose pipe ban.”

The UK’s first hose pipe ban for nine years came into force last month and there is a possibility that this will spread across the country. Some of the shortage problems are caused breakages, the ‘wrong sort of rain’ and some degree of consumer waste.

Adrian noted:

“If customers save water then can also cut their water bills and help pressurise South West Water to do their bit to reduce exorbitant water charges.”

The Environment Agency’s guidelines suggest that consumers can do some of the following things to help;

§ Vegetables and fruit should be washed in a bowl rather than under a running tap and the leftover water can be used for watering house plants.

§ Use the minimum amount of water required when you boil water in saucepans and kettles; that way, you’ll save energy as well as water.

§ Try keeping a bottle or jug of water in the fridge instead of running taps until the water runs cold.

§ Half-load programmes on dishwashers and washing machines use more than half the water and energy of a full load. Therefore, wait until you have a full load before switching the machine on.

§ Try not to leave the tap running while you brush your teeth, shave or wash your hands, as this can waste up to 5 litres of water per minute.

§ A 5-minute shower uses about a third of the water of a bath. But remember that power showers can use more water than a bath in less than 5 minutes.

§ Old toilet cisterns can use as much as 9 litres of clean water every flush. Reduce this by placing a ‘save-a-flush’ or ‘hippo’ in the cistern.

§ Cotton wool and tissues should be put in a waste bin rather than flushed down the toilet.

§ Dripping taps can waste up to 4 litres of water a day. Replace worn tap washers for a quick and cheap way of saving water.

§ Burst water pipes can cause serious damage as well as waste water. Ensure your water pipes and external taps are lagged in time for the cold winter months.”

Adrian added:

“I will continue to campaign against high local water charges but until there are concessions on behalf of South West Water I can only give advice to people about how best to reduce their bills themselves.

“Further information will be available on my website (www.adriansanders.org) with useful links to websites which will help people to reduce their bills.”

Useful Sources of Information

• Meter Options

• An A to Z of Saving water from the BBC

• The Environment Agency