
For the environment and your wallet: conscious use of the valuable resource water
Water is one of the most basic resources of all life. According to the Federal Statistical Office, 128 liters of water are consumed per capita and per day in Germany.
Water is therefore a precious element that must be used carefully and sparingly. The Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Consumer Center explains what private households should pay particular attention to when saving water.
Saving water means saving threefold
Almost half of the water is used for washing clothes (12 percent) and for bathing, showering and personal care (36 percent). “This is a good starting point for saving hot and cold water in everyday life and thus reducing costs and consumption,” says Arian Freytag, an energy consulting expert. Wastewater fees must also be paid for every cubic meter of water used in the household. Saving hot water is worth it in three ways: it saves the cost of the cubic meter of drinking water, wastewater and, above all, the sharply increased energy costs for heating.
“This is a good starting point for saving hot and cold water in everyday life and thus reducing costs and consumption,” says
Arian Freytag, energy consulting expert at the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Consumer Center
Save water in the bathroom : close the tap
To avoid 15 to 20 liters of unused water running down the drain, the water should be turned off when soaping your hands or brushing your teeth. This means water consumption can be reduced by up to 70 percent. A single-lever mixer with slight resistance instead of two separate handles for hot and cold water makes it easier to adjust the water temperature and frequent readjustment is not necessary. Electronic faucets also help control water flow, as water only flows when someone puts their hands under the faucet. However, this more expensive measure is particularly worthwhile for heavily frequented pools.
Showers vs. full bath
Instead of around 140 liters of water for a full bath, only around 20 liters flow through a shower head per minute. If you also use an energy-saving shower head, you further reduce water consumption. The amount of water is significantly reduced using integrated flow limiters or aerators: you mix air into the water and the water jet remains as usual. However, the water flow per minute drops to eight to ten liters. With the same level of comfort, water consumption is halved. There are also shower heads with a stop button while soaping. Attention: Economy showers are not suitable for unpressurized storage tanks or instantaneous water heaters, as the normal flow pressure must be maintained in order to avoid malfunctions.
Save water when doing laundry
Full drum: A good twelve percent of the drinking water in private households flows into the washing machine. Always load the washing machine fully and select an economy program. Saving programs for washing machines and dishwashers take significantly longer, but still save electricity and water. A look at the operating instructions will help you find the right program, as manufacturers name them differently. You should avoid pre-washing. It is better to pre-treat stubborn stains. If you are sensitive or allergic to detergent residue, you should use environmentally and skin-friendly detergents instead.
Replace water guzzler
Old toilet cisterns are real water wasters. When used five times a day, they consume a good 45 liters, which is around a third of the daily water requirement per person. Dual-volume dishwashers or a rinse-stop button, on the other hand, only use three to six liters of water per rinse cycle instead of a constant nine liters. With the same level of hygiene, you can reduce water consumption by 30 to 50 percent. A family of four saves up to 40,000 liters of drinking water and the conversion costs are paid for in less than a year.
Save water in the kitchen:
We use around five liters of water every day for cooking and drinking. A larger part, eight liters each, comes from dishwashing and cleaning.
Dishwasher vs. hand washing
When washing by hand, up to 50 liters of water are used for twelve place settings. Up to 2.5 kWh of electricity is required to heat the water. A dishwasher requires on average around 19 liters of water and up to 1.4 kWh of electricity for the same amount of dishes. Savings: Up to 31 liters of valuable drinking water and 1.1 kWh of electricity. When the dishwasher is fully loaded, it is important to ensure that the detergent dosage is optimal and that the savings programs are used. Food residue can be removed in advance without water. It is extremely rare for extremely dirty dishes to require an additional pre-wash cycle, which requires more water.
Save water when cleaning vegetables
Vegetables, fruit or salad do not need to be cleaned under running water. A bowl of water is suitable for removing light or stubborn build-up. After soaking for a short time, dirt can be removed more easily and after draining in the sieve, the water can often be used as water for watering flowers.
If you have any questions about the conscious use of cold and warm water, the energy advice from the consumer advice center can help with its extensive range of services. The consultation takes place online, by telephone or in a personal conversation. The energy experts provide individual, provider-independent advice. More information is available at www.verbraucherzentrale-energieberatung.de or nationwide free of charge on 0800 – 809 802 400 . The consumer advice center's energy advice is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection.
Interesting information on the topic of saving energy can also be found in the consumer advice center's free online lectures at: https://verbraucherzentrale-energieberatung.de/projekte/ .
Source: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Consumer Center
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