Three-quarters of Brits cut water use in July

Almost three quarters of Brits (72%) said they made a conscious effort to save water in July, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows.

Despite plenty of rain in most parts of the country, the data suggests people were mindful of their consumption during the month.

People’s actions to conserve resources varied, but the majority of those who said they cut back the amount of water used made changes in the bathroom and kitchen, while fewer reported garden actions. Just 28% said they took no actions to cut back on the amount of water used.

People were most willing to wait until their washing machine or dishwasher was full before putting it on with 49% of people stating they did this, followed by 48% who turned off a running tap when washing up or brushing their teeth.

Almost one third (29%) took shorter showers and 22% had fewer baths or showers.

Meanwhile, 21% of respondents said they conserved water in the garden by using a water butt while 27% said they had culled their use of a hosepipe.

Mike Keil, senior director at CCW said the survey chimed with CCW’s own research that suggested younger people were particularly aware of the need to change their habits to conserve water. However, he said the same survey also showed that more than six out of 10 people felt they could do more to be water efficient.

“We’ve got a long way to go,” Keil said. “Saving water may seem like a hard sell when we have been deluged with rain for several weeks – but there is cause for optimism when it comes to getting people to value and use water wisely.”

He added: “Consumers reducing the amount of water they use is an essential component of making sure there’s enough water in the long term. This means we have to make simple adjustments to our behaviour, or risk water shortages and harm to the environment.”

The ONS began collecting data in June on attitudes to water restrictions and usage. Most people surveyed did not live in a region with usage restrictions in place, however 5% were not aware if there were bans where they live.

Widescale water efficiency will be a focus of the next price review, with regulator Ofwat creating a fund of £100 million between 2025-30 to promote collaboration and innovation between stakeholders to help people use less.

A spokesperson from Water UK, which coordinates the Water’s Worth Saving campaign, added: “Although it has been a wetter summer than usual, climate change is changing the weather patterns that we all rely on, and population growth is increasing the total demand for water. It’s important that we continue to save water where we can, whatever the weather, to protect against any future drought conditions.

The campaign encourages people to make small behavioural changes and be more conscious of how actions impact the water environment.