The Environment Agency has recently recommended that digital water meters should be compulsory in the UK. Its water strategy sets out “measures [the Environment Agency] thinks should be implemented to protect resources up to 2050,” reports the BBC.
Why? The Beeb adds that: “the report points out that 25 million people in England and Wales are already living in areas where there is less water available per person than in Spain or Morocco.”
It’s feared that ongoing changes in rainfall patterns and the steady increase in the UK’s population will put increased pressure on water supplies in the future.
Most houses in the UK are not charged specifically for the water they use. Instead, the cost is fixed and is based on the rateable value of individual properties. So if there are more bedrooms in your house than people living there, a water meter could save you money.
In contrast, if a large family is living in a small property, a water meter probably cost more than the current fixed charge system. Contact your local water company for more information or try analysing your water usage using an online calculator.
Smarter water technology
While there is a renewed focus on energy saving and eco-technology in the home, the far less glamorous issue of water efficiency is often ignored. There are some high tech (and some low tech) ways that you can boost your water efficiency. A case of saving water, saving the world.
Consider new technology. Manufacturers now produce much more water efficient appliances, including: toilets, dishwashers, washing machines, taps and showers. The Ifö Cera ES4 toilet, for example, was developed by water conservation specialists and features a water-saving (and leak-free) dual-flush mechanism.
Modern washing machines are also much more water efficient. Whirlpool’s 6th Sense models have a built in sensor that adjusts the washing cycle to match the size of the load. According to Whirlpool, this not only saves water but cuts washing time by up to to 30%.
For a more futuristic approach to water conservation, the eFlo (pictured) is a new water control system that replaces your shower controls with an 8.4” waterproof touch-screen controller.
You can personally program the eFlo system to a set water temperature and to be active for a specified duration (say five minutes). In fact, you might have to force yourself to get out, because a typical eFlo setup also features a built-in MP3 player and Internet connectivity.
Low tech solutions
Of course, we can’t all just junk our old washing machines and dishwashers in favour of newer, greener models. But there are some cheaper, low-tech ways to conserve water. These include fitting water flow restrictors and water-saving shower heads.
Much of the advice is common sense – fix any leaking taps; don’t leave the water running when you’re hand-washing dishes or brushing your teeth; always operate your dishwasher or washing machine with a full load.
Again, try analysing your water usage using an online calculator. You’ll be amazed at how much you use throughout the week.
Nearly half of all the water used in the home gets used in the bathroom. But you can take shorter showers – EcoOutlet sells shower timers for £4.89. And rather than replace your existing toilet, reduce the water that it uses for each flush by reducing the volume in the cistern. Fill an old plastic bottle with water and put it inside.
Need more inspiration? You can find 100 tips on how to save water here.
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TV doesn’t need it. You only appreciate the benefit of full HD on bigger sets. Elsewhere, three HDMI ports and a PC input ensure good connectivity and the 30,000:1 contrast ratio is far from shabby. The performance of this 32-incher is excellent considering the rock-bottom price tag.
boasts a full HD (1080p) resolution, 100Hz processing, four HDMI ports (plus a PC input) and a 55,000:1 contrast ratio. As for the love it/hate it Ambilight feature… you can always turn it off.
is no exception. Beyond the basic specs (1080p HD, three HDMI ports, a PC input and a 10,000:1 contrast ratio), this high-def telly features a built-in Freesat HD tuner that can be used to receive free-to-air high definition programming from the BBC and ITV. Nice.
is another 720p set that deserves a closer look. It’s less fully-featured than some of its rivals – there are only two HDMI connections, no PC input and the contrast ratio is rated at 18,000:1. But you can’t argue with some corner-cutting when Toshiba’s Active Vision picture processing delivers such good picture quality.
stand out from the crowd is its built-in 
