Many of us are very aware of the push towards making our homes eco-friendly. There have been many campaigns driven towards eco-friendly living – including solar panel schemes that have been rolled out across the UK. In addition to this, on new-builds double pane windows are used to help reduce energy consumption. And the concept of “reduce, reuse, recycle” is taught in many schools.  

Many of us are very aware of the push towards making our homes eco-friendly. There have been many campaigns driven towards eco-friendly living – including solar panel schemes that have been rolled out across the UK. In addition to this, on new-builds double pane windows are used to help reduce energy consumption. And the concept of “reduce, reuse, recycle” is taught in many schools.  

However, did you know that one of the smallest rooms in your home could be draining a lot of energy and money? A bathroom is a place that we only use a couple of times per day but ensuring that it is energy-efficient is vital for the environment. If you’re interested in creating an eco-friendly bathroom and saving money continue reading this guide. Here are some of our best tips to get you started. 

1) Snap out of bad habits  

The following tips will help you reduce energy, therefore, making your bathroom eco-friendlier. However, you can make changes to your habits that will also help you to cut energy usage. If you are not mindful using your bathroom fixtures, wasteful habits may void any of your water/energy-saving attempts.  

Keep the following in mind: 

• Ensure that your taps are turned off when they are not in use. Many of us are guilty of leaving taps on as we do our teeth but this can waste a lot of water!  
• Do you ever use your bathroom, look at the time and realise you were in there a lot longer than you had thought? How long you spend in the shower is a big factor when it comes to how much water used and wasted. There are plenty of water-saving gadgets that time how long you’re taking and water you’re using and notify you if you’ve surpassed a certain time.  
• Leaking taps can be quite annoying to say the least. Constant dripping and pools of water surrounding a tap are far from ideal. Considering how much water a leaking tap can waste this is an issue that you shouldn’t ignore. If you notice that your tap is leaking, get it fixed. If a tap is left leaking for a long time it can damage the tap so severely that it requires replacing the entire tap system. To reduce the likelihood of leaks, install taps with ceramic disc technology.  

2) Select a dual flush toilet system  

Toilets can heavily impact water usage too; old valves can lead to lots of water wastage. To prevent this, we recommend upgrading to a dual flush system. Modern valves will enable you to decrease the amount of water used by allowing you to choose between 2 flush options. Typically, you can operate these by using a button or lever that enables you to flush a low volume flush or a high-volume flush. Low flushes are designed for liquid waste, and the more powerful flush is for solid waste. Unlike standard toilets designed with only one flushing option, the low volume flush of dual flush toilets allows for the conservation of water when using the liquid waste setting. 

We recommend the Grohe Adagio Dual Flush Concealed Cistern (Side Entry) which features a 6/3 litre dual flush and an Eco Button to reduce your water consumption by up to 50%. This cistern is supplied with fixing brackets, flush pipe, WC inlet connector, and dual flush button. The RRP of this cistern is £83 but it is available on our website from just £49.99! 

3) Use an extractor fan only when necessary  

Bathrooms are generally humid and damp. In such conditions, if the room is not adequately ventilated then mould and mildew can develop. Bathroom extractor fans are the best way to prevent mould and mildew. Mould spores are known to be dangerous and can lead to respiratory issues and skin irritation amongst other problems. Extractor fans work to remove some of the moisture from the air and keep your bathroom in a hygienic condition. If you already have an extractor fan installed, consider replacing it with a new, energy efficient model which could cut down the energy it uses to function. Remember to use your extractor fan only when it is required e.g. when you have taken a shower, as again, it does use energy to run. 

Our bathroom experts suggest the Showerlite Extractor Fan that has a quiet motor and runs without disrupting your bathroom routine. It has been specially designed for safe ventilation of bathrooms, toilets, and shower rooms. It has a built-in timer for an adjustable overrun of 1-20 minutes. This means that the fan will not be using energy when it is not needed.  

4) Choose energy efficient lighting  

You have many choices in energy-efficient lighting. We recommend LEDs or compact fluorescent lights for your bathroom. These light bulbs will normally cost slightly more than traditional incandescent bulbs. Having said that, because they use less energy to operate and last longer, they save you money in the long-run. You can also install lights that dim or turn off when they are not in use. Dimmers can be very useful as they save electricity when used to lower light levels. They also can help to build a relaxing atmosphere in your bathroom.  

If you already have energy efficient lighting you can still take your lighting to the next level, take a look at the Synergy Portia LED Mirror. This mirror encircled by LED lights to illuminate your face as you get ready. It is also magnified for improved shaving and precise makeup application.  

5) Change your shower head 

Many shower heads now come with energy saving features. The shower head controls the flow and spray pattern of the water. They can come in a range of sizes and offer differing spray patterns that can impact water usage. Aerating shower heads mix water with air, reducing the overall amount of water that’s needed. Other water-saving shower heads reduce the flow rate, ‘pulsate’ the water or include a flow regulator to the shower hose to save water.  

View the Methven Aio Aurajet Shower Handset that ultra-modern shower from Methven transform your showering experience. This shower has a flow rate that is optimised to be relaxing while still being water efficient. 

Saving energy and money isn’t hard, all you will need to do is invest in the right bathroom products and be mindful of your water and energy usage. For more advice on reducing energy and water usage, be sure to follow our Twitter and Facebook pages. This week we will be showing off the very best energy saving products and advice from our expert team. We also update our blog regularly so be sure to return for more articles like this.