Just got our first daily water use info for our water meter

[Motnight]

It's 1180 litres. I am gobsmacked.

3 bedroomed house. 2 of us living here permanently, occasional visits from a 3rd person! Both working mostly at home. Around 10 loads of washing a week, dishwasher used once a day. 2 showers and 1 bath a day (bath is deep). Bath is taken by husband who has a life long illness which leaves him in lots of physical pain, which is helped by a bath.

Is this normal? The useful info provided says that a typical 2 person household should use around 270 metres a day. Do we have a leak or are we just using appalling amounts of water? If the latter, any tips on reducing this? Thankyou.

A dishwasher uses less water than running tap for 2 mins for washing up.

If you really want to save water then also don't flush toilet after every wee but do after every pooh. I don't do it myself but DP's do.

just checked I live alone and on avg use 315 litres a day. Dishwasher runs once a day, one shower a day, avg 10 loads of washing a week because I have a muddy dog and keep throw covers on the 3 piece plus 2 dogbeds. During a dry summer I water my pots and tubs but get some water from my 8 rain barrels. If the baths are a medical need then look into getting a discount for this, but even a bath a day, to me, doesn't explain the difference. I'd be checking your meter.

Bit of both, you can cut down, but I don’t think the use you stated matches that amount either.

Dishwasher twice a day?

There are 2 of us and we do 3 or 4 loads of laundry a week.

We're not on a meter so I have no idea what we use however as everyone else has said 10 lots of washing is a lot! There's 2 of us and the most we tend to do is 2 washes a week unless we've just got back from holiday. I wash up 3 times a day as I can't bear it building up.

Regarding showers, to the posters saying 2 a day is too much, surely that depends on what the person is doing. I had a shower this morning and will have a second one tonight as I'm going to the gym. I'd feely yuck if I didn't!

We're on a meter and there's 2 of us.
In the last 6 months we used 49 cubic metres.

OP is using the same amount in 6 weeks!

We do that @Gonnagetgoing - flush after a number 2, after going to the loo for the last time before bed, and when I’m on my period.

I just looked up our last bill to compare to your figures OP - for June last year-Jan this year (198 days) we used 24m3 of water for two adults which I think is about 121 litres a day. If I’ve calculated that right then I can’t see how you can use almost 10x as much, I’d look for leaks.

10 loads of washing?!! We are a family of 4 and do 5 loads per week- one towels, one whites, 2 darks and whoever’s bedsheets it is. Might wash the dog beds too to possibly do 6 loads. A bath depending on size is about 80 litres and a 5 min shower with high pressure head is about 60. An average person uses about 140-150litres per day so your using 9 x more than average

How can you fit all your bedding in one wash?
Not being snarky but three beds, two double, one king size. Includes duvet covers, sheets, pillow cases and mattress protectors. I could never fit that in my machine.

Blody hell thats a load of water. I have terrible arthritis but instead of baths I have an electric blanket which does the job just as well and I just have a shower instead. I have no dishwasher and do 2 loads of washing a week. I work in the NHS and have to have a clean uniform everyday so I have enough uniforms for the entire week so I'm not boil washing every night. Just once at the weekend. My water bill is very cheap and it's metered.

You use a lot of water- the deep daily baths plus two showers plus ten loads of washing is quite a lot for two people I think. I definitely would look at reducing the number of wash loads. I don't know what else you could do to be honest.

@Ilovetommycat

How can you fit all your bedding in one wash? Not being snarky but three beds, two double, one king size. Includes duvet covers, sheets, pillow cases and mattress protectors. I could never fit that in my machine.

That’s an above average amount of bedding to have, I think. Not sure the average house could even fit all those beds in. I imagine OP only has one set to wash if it’s her and her DH. In our house we have a double bed and a single (for guests/snorers) and the bedding for both fits in the machine together. If we don’t need to wash the single bedding then we do the towels with the bedding.

Just checked mine - single household and it says I use 153 litres a day

You're probably right. I often decamp to the spare room as my husband snores. I can sometimes still hear him

I think you def need to look for a leak. I looked on our high period and it was av 356 litres a day. That was taken from May 2021. Couple plus 6 yo and 18 month old twins so LOTS of washing but baths are shallow. I'm a SAHM so home lots and bad habit of leaving the plates to soak (no dishwasher?

2 plus teen is362 litres a day on average. Dishwasher once a day. Big bath for me each day, dh and teen a shower each day. Prob 5 or 6 loads of washing a week. Water the garden with a hose height of the summer. I don't think about it really.

Can you get it capped?

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

10 loads of washing- 1 colours 1 blacks 1 whites 1 towels 1 bedding- what have I missed?!

You wouldn't normally divide so much if you're just two people. Separate the whites and maybe delicates and everything else goes in together otherwise she will not have full loads each time, or maybe that is the problem?

Drop the bed changes to once every two weeks particularly if you are bathing in the evening, you are getting into bed clean. Same with towels, ours last two weeks and don’t smell, so long as you hang them up properly to dry after use. They are only drying your cleaned body.

See if your husband can skip the shower on days he has a bath, ideally alternate days so he also cuts the amount of baths across the week without cutting them out altogether

I think you could get your washing loads down with a routine.

I wash sheets one day.
dark clothes
Light clothes
Whites
Towels
Gym gear

With a routine you tend to maximise the load and never put on a smaller wash because you’ve run out of pants or need a certain top.

@Ilovetommycat

How can you fit all your bedding in one wash? Not being snarky but three beds, two double, one king size. Includes duvet covers, sheets, pillow cases and mattress protectors. I could never fit that in my machine.

Thank you! I have never been able to fit all of a single bedding into one wash. Maybe because we have extra pillows and a blanket...but our king-size takes nearly 3 loads by itself. Maybe I just have a small washing machine

To the person who said they only have 1 washing machine load per week for 2 people - really ????? we have about 4 and I WFH (so can wear comfy sloppy stuff) . No way we could only do one wash - that would be the bedding only.

"According to my bill typical use over 6 months is:
One person 28m3"

Hmm. I just did the Anglia's test and came to 35m3 and a low user (washing done at the laundrette).