Severn Trent has issued seven autumn tips to help customers be water wise – and potentially save cash.

The region saw a record dry and warm summer, which had also followed a sizzling spring with drastically lower than average rainfall so far this year.

The company is now urging customers to continue to be mindful of their water usage through autumn, to help reservoirs return to their normal levels.

Severn Trent has been doing its bit by reducing leakage by a record 16% in the last five years, while investing £420m to lay more than 800 miles of new pipes across the region.

It also handed out 8,000 water-saving devices to customers at community events in Derbyshire and Staffordshire through the summer, helping save some 100,000 litres per day – more than 1,200 full bathtubs.

Doug Clarke, Water Resources Planning Lead at Severn Trent, said: “We’ve seen some rain in recent weeks, but it’s easy to forget we had the driest spring on record and the annual rainfall this year is way below what we normally see.

“Many of our reservoir levels are improving, but we do have less water than we would want in some of our reservoirs at this time of year. 

“With climate change, experts say droughts like we experienced this year could happen more often.  This is why it’s important we all do our bit to help reservoirs refill over autumn and winter and we would encourage everyone to continue to be water-wise all year round.

“By doing so, they can help the environment - and save themselves money if they have a meter, or even through their energy usage on hot water.”

Severn Trent’s seven simple water saving tips: 

• Get a water meter – You wouldn’t pay for unused energy, so why would you with water? Having a smart meter puts you in control of your water usage and what you pay. Have one installed, and switch today, to start seeing how you could save. To find out more, visit here.
• Turn Off Taps While You Brush - Did you know that a running tap uses over SIX litres of water every minute? So, by turning them off while you brush your teeth, you’ll be saving over 12 litres of water. Similarly, if you’re washing the dishes, filling the bowl with water rather than having a running tap will help to save water. 

• Fix Leaks Promptly – We’re all busy and it’s easy to put off getting leaks fixed, yet even small leaks can waste significant amounts of water. So regularly check your taps, showerheads and toilets for leaks and repair them as soon as possible. Leaky loos can waste hundreds of litres every day. For more information on leak-detecting, visit here. 

• Use Water-Efficient Fixtures – We all love a power shower, but they use A LOT more water than a normal shower, so consider installing water-saving devices such as low-flow showerheads or dual-flush toilets which do the same job while using less water. 

• Try a shower timer – Showers are one of the largest users of water in a household. And while you might love singing through your setlist while washing the suds out of your hair, a shower timer might just keep you on track to spend less time in there. Not only will that help lower you water bill, but it could also cut your energy bill – and your neighbour’s ears will also benefit! 

• Run Full Loads – Dishwashers are becoming much more energy and water efficient and if used correctly, by only using them when it is full, can be more efficient than washing dishes by hand. Similarly, only using your washing machine on a full load will mean less cycles and less water used. 
• Lag Your Pipes before Winter Chill – Protect your pipes by lagging them before any cold freeze hits. Severn Trent is responsible for the maintenance of public pipework, but homeowners are responsible for pipes and taps within their boundary – so lagging can prevent costly leaks and bursts. For more information, visit here