Water & Energy Cost Saving Guide

Introduction

These days, news headlines are full of cost-of-living increases and environmental impact stories, meaning it can be difficult to see how you can help to make a difference. This guide gives practical tips for social landlords, care home operators, and residents alike, on how small changes can lead to big savings, both environmentally and financially, over time.

Why should we care?

Wider global events have triggered spiralling gas and electric bills for businesses and homes, and with global warming now about damage limitation rather than avoidance, many are wondering what are the facts, and what part can each of us play to make life easier for our tenants and residents?

Increased Energy Cap

Higher wholesale prices have led to significant rises in the price cap for the average household and UK energy bills.

Global Warming

Climate change is a global problem that affects us all. This means homes have an important part to play in meeting 2030 emissions targets.

The QUICK Wins

+ Turn off electrical appliances when not in use – UK households could save an average of £147 per year if appliances were turned off rather than on standby, according to British Gas.
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+ Turn thermostats down by one degree – Even before the cost of energy escalated, energy experts at uSwitch advised that turning down the thermostat by one degree could save approximately £80 on heating bills.

+ Only boil the kettle with the amount of water needed – This small change could save at least £36 a year according to the Energy Saving Trust.

+ Wash clothes at lower temperatures – Washing at 30 degrees rather than 40 degrees can help reduce energy usage and bills.

The BIG Wins

+ Buy efficient appliances – When it’s time to buy a new appliance, look for an A+++ appliance. An A+++ fridge freezer will save around £320 in energy bills over its lifetime compared to an A+ model6

+ Install a new boiler – Energy and money can be saved by upgrading the boiler, if an older one is still in operation. In fact, based on energy prices in March 2019, a detached house upgrading from a G-rated boiler could save around £300 a year.

+ Invest in double glazing – An entirely single-glazed, semi-detached home costs at least £110 more a year to keep warm, compared to one with A-rated double glazing.

What About Water?

A large majority of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions are produced because of energy consumption.. As well as heating our homes, a significant amount of energy is required to collect, treat, and supply clean water to them. Water conservation not only makes financial sense in terms of bills reduction, but it also helps reduce each household
and care home’s carbon footprint and its broader environmental impact.

Download Our Water Saving Guide

AKW Cares

AKW has created a range of water-saving products that help social landlords, care homes, and tenants reduce water/energy usage and save money on bills

AKW SmartCare Plus® Electric Shower®

All AKW showers are WRAS approved, however the AKW SmartCare Plus shower is available with a remote for ultimate water usage management:

+ Ideal for individual or assisted showering, the AKW SmartCare Plus shower comes with a remote control that can adjust power, temperature, and flow to maximise water-saving potential for the user

+ The shower is RNIB and BEAB Care approved

View Product

Livenza Plus & Navlin Sanitaryware

We’ve developed our most recent sanitaryware collections with functionality and water efficiency in mind.

+ Fully compliant with UK water and British Standard regulations

+ Full and reduced flush options increase performance and water efficiency

+ BS EN 997 approval ensures improved flush performance, with an overflow pipe that has been increased to 300mm to meet current water regulation requirements, making it an efficient sanitaryware option

+ Our close-coupled cisterns have bottom water entry inlets with a one piece, visible top-fill water inlet valve and an all-round air gap, ensuring they are some of the only fully compliant products on the market today

View Sanitaryware

AKW Bidet Collection & Geberit AquaClean Mera Care

As well as promoting toileting independence, bidets and wash and dry toilets can contribute to environmental and cost savings:

+ Ironically, cleaning with water consumes less water than cleaning with toilet paper, because the production of toilet paper requires 2,350 litres of water per year for one household, whereas the average bidet uses only 1500 litres18

+ The average person uses 127 rolls of toilet paper a year; for a family of four, this can work out to approximately £275 a year

View the AKW Bidet

To coincide with the launch of our water saving guide, we’re inviting you to join the #AKWWaterSavingChallenge which aims to encourage those who can, to try and keep to a 5-minute time limit when showering, with statistics showing that we typically use up to 150 litres of water during a 10-minute shower!

The start of a new year is the perfect time to evaluate our existing habits and embrace change, so to get us started, we’re giving away free 5-minute shower timers which you can stick to your bathroom tiles, wall panels, or shower screen using a handy suction cup, and can be used to keep track of your time spent in the shower.

To get involved, fill in the below form to request your timer.