Mum of two from Manchester shares her top three tips to slash water bills

A mum from Manchester has shared her top three tips she uses to cut down her water wills.

Mum of two, Emma Stretton, has gained more than 30,000 Instagram followers to her @emma.wears.it.all account thanks to sharing her cost-cutting hacks on the platform.

And with water bills on the rise and households looking to cut down on consumption, cutting down on water bills can significantly help reduce costs.

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Teaming up with Victoria Plumbing, Emma has revealed three thrifty tips to help reduce the amount of water we use and save money.

1. Flushing the toilet

When it comes to flushing the toilet, around 30% of a household's water usage is literally flushed away, according to Waterwise (an independent UK body for using water efficiently).

While it might sound a bit unsanitary, Emma suggests reducing the amount of times you flush the toilet.

"Generally speaking, there isn't really a need to flush your toilet after every wee. Once I found out that most of the water use in my home came from flushing my toilet, a rule was made that the toilet was only flushed after a number two," Emma said.

"There are a few bends to that rule though, if any pesky smells are filling up in the bathroom from the toilet being used a few too many times, then I will allow a flush. Just make sure you tell any boys in the house to keep the toilet seat down!".

2. Showering every other day

On average, we use 12 litres of water per minute while showering (according to Waterwise) with several family members taking daily showers, the cost can quickly escalate. To tackle this, Emma suggests reducing the frequency of children's showers.

"With the kids being at school every day collecting dirt, it can be difficult to refrain from cleaning them every day. I've found that it is best to shower them every other day, or sometimes even less," Emma said.

"I set two days a week when they need to be showered: Sunday with school starting the next day and Thursday after Rugby. Any dirty nails or smudges on their faces in the meantime are nothing a soapy sponge at the kitchen sink can't fix."

3. Only wash uniform when dirty

Emma also advises against washing school uniforms too frequently. With a washing machine consuming up to 50 litres of water per cycle, daily washes can lead to an excessive water bill.

Emma's tip is to only wash uniforms when they're truly dirty.

"Keeping your kids uniform smelling fresh and clean is always important. You may have the urge to want to wash their uniform every day but doing that is unnecessary and often a huge waste," Emma said.

"By buying your kids two pairs of trousers/skirts and having around 3-5 shirts, you can wash their uniform all in one day so they are prepared for the week ahead. I recommend changing your kids trousers/skirts every Wednesday and alternating their shirts every other day, depending on if their uniform gets really dirty!".

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