In the garden

Invest in a water butt: A water butt connects to your drainpipe in your garden, it collects the water that falls on to your roof, which would otherwise be wasted. The water is stored in the butt and it can then be used to water your garden, wash you windows or clean your car! Water butts can be picked up for as little as £30 and are a worthy addition to any home.

Washing your car: Use a bucket, not a hose, to wash your car. A 15 millimeter hose uses over 100 litres of water in just ten minutes. If you used a bucket you would only need 10 litres to wash and 10 litres to rinse the car afterwards.

Avoiding sprinklers: If you can, try and avoid the use of sprinklers for the garden, they can use up to 1,000 litres of water per hour…and if you are going to use a sprinkler, then only do so in the early morning or late evening, where less water will evaporate from your garden. If you water during the day, the sun will just evaporate the water and this does not do the plants any good at all.

Besides if you have got a water butt installed then there is absolutely no need to use a sprinkler or hose in the garden as the water you need is already there! Alternatively just use a watering can or use leftover water from a bath or the dishes.