I tried six water gadgets to see if they save money and cut energy bills
MILLIONS of households will pay more for water from next month – but there are ways to save.
The 7.5 per cent rise, putting up the average annual bill by £31, to £448, is the largest in almost 20 years.
While households cannot switch providers, a few simple changes at home could save you hundreds of pounds. The average home uses around 349 litres of water a day – equivalent to taking four and a half baths.
This week, Lynsey Hope explains ways to cut cost
Colour catcher
£3.50 for 40 sheets Sainsbury’s
SIMPLY add one of these laundry sheets to your machine when putting washing on and it prevents colour run by trapping loose dyes.
So you can mix all your washing into one load.
Laica dual flo kettle
£69.99, OnBuy.com
THIS only boils the amount of water you need, saving energy and avoiding wastage.
However much water you put in, you can set it to boil just “one cup” and there is a choice of amounts to suit the size of your mug.
Pepte toilet tank bank
£6.99, Amazon
STICKING a tank bank in your toilet cistern will mean you use less water.
With this clipped inside, your cistern cannot refill completely after each flush, saving you water and cash.
It can take the space of up to two litres of water.
Lowenergie tap aerator
£3.19, Amazon
TAP aerators work by mixing air with water, increasing the pressure while reducing the amount of water that comes out.
They could save the average household up to £36 a year, according to Wessexwater.co.uk.
Shower timer
£7.99, Amazon
AVOID taking lengthy showers – and using too much hot water – with the help of a timer.
This digital device is water and steam-proof and easy to use.
Simply set the time for as long or as little as you would like.
Mira Nectar Eco head
£36.73, Screwfix
THIS nifty shower head limits water to flow to around six litres per minute, thereby helping to lower bills.
It may reduce the pressure, but you should barely notice it after a few times.
Also features a rub-clean nozzle.
GETTING HELP WITH BILLS
STRUGGLING to pay your water bills? Check whether having a meter installed will save you money.
If you’re in debt, or think you might fall behind on your payments, contact your supplier.
They should have a scheme to help customers clear outstanding debts.
Many providers also offer discounted tariffs to hard-up households.
If you receive benefits and use a lot of water for medical reasons or because you have a certain number of school-age children, you may qualify for WaterSure.
This scheme caps your costs at the average metered bill for your water company area.
In some cases, your metered water bill could be less than your provider’s cap – then you will only be billed for the amount of water you use.
All suppliers offer WaterSure if either you or someone in your household get one of the following: Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit.
Apply for WaterSure by filling out a paper form from your supplier.
Should you get a water meter?
INSTALLING a water meter saves the average household £200 a year, according to the Consumer Council for Water.
It may benefit you if you don’t use much anyway.
And it could also be worth changing to a meter if your property has a high rateable value, based on how much the property could be let for.
A good rule of thumb is that you could pay less with a meter if there are fewer people in your property than there are bedrooms.
Use the calculator on the CCW website to work out how much you are likely to pay.
If you change to a meter, the provider will come to read it.
Most water firms will let you trial a meter for up to two years and you can switch back for free if you are unhappy.
If the water company can’t fit a meter and your water usage is limited, ask for an assessed charge bill.
This is usually worked out on details such as the size of your home and how many people live in it.
AIR VOUCHER WARNING
By Ellie Smitherman
ALMOST 200,000 mortgage “prisoners” trapped on interest rates of up to 8.29 per cent should be offered interest-free loans to set them free, a new report has found.
The borrowers have been unable to switch mortgage deals, leaving them stuck on expensive standard variable rates after lenders like Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley went bust in the last financial crisis.
The London School of Economics and Political Science calculated that the Government made £2.4billion profit from selling the mortgages on to lenders that are not regulated to offer borrowers new deals.
Its report proposes a package of support for struggling borrowers that would cost Whitehall up to £347million over ten years.
The proposals include providing equity loans that would be interest-free for five years, to help borrowers reduce the size of their mortgage debt and qualify for a cheaper rate with a new lender.
Borrowers should also be given free financial advice, it said.
MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis, who funded the research, called on ministers to act “with speed”.
He said: “This report lays out starkly that the state sold these borrowers into poverty, knowing it could cause them harm, and made billions doing it.
“The Government has a moral and financial responsibility to mitigate some of the damage done.”
Air voucher warning
PASSENGERS are urged to “use or lose” flight vouchers issued during the pandemic.
British Airways-owner IAG and easyJet said, between them, travellers are yet to redeem £643million of vouchers.
Rocio Concha, of consumer champions Which?, said: “Anyone with unused vouchers should check the expiry date, and also confirm their airlines’ terms and conditions in the event the voucher remains unused – only a few airlines will issue cash refunds if this happens.”
Passengers who would have preferred cash instead might still be able to get it.
Ms Concha added: “If you accepted a voucher after the airline cancelled your flight but were not offered the option of a cash refund at the time, you can dispute this with the airline. If the airline is still unwilling to issue a refund, you should escalate your complaint to an alternative dispute resolution service if the airline is a member.”
Both airlines have extended the expiry dates on more than one occasion.
EasyJet said its unused vouchers totalled £110million last September, but the figure will now be far lower due to bookings made.
Expiry dates vary depending on when they were issued.
IAG, which owns five airlines including Aer Lingus and Iberia, said it handed out£533million in vouchers.
BA vouchers expire in September this year, but the airline is reviewing that date.
- By Ryan Gray