What is the ideal duration of a shower to save money and water?

In the bathroom, a few simple tricks can help safeguard water and energy resources, and save money, which is not negligible in this period of rising prices. To reduce bills while working for the environment, it is strongly recommended to turn off the tap water to brush your teeth, shave or wash your face, lower the temperature of the shower and equip yourself with economical knobs and mixers. But that is not all! Even the time we spend humming under hot water should be reviewed and timed! We explain.

A shower should not exceed four minutes

In order to be able to control one’s ecological footprint, it is very often advisable to do so prefer the shower to the bathbut this idea is only interesting if you pay attention to the time you spend on it.

In fact, a bath consumes between 150 and 200 liters of water, and a minute spent in the shower consumes around 15 litres. If you stay ten minutes under the shower head with the water on, you consume as many liters as if you were taking a bath! Not to mention that the volume of water used can easily double depending on the power of the jet (and it’s even worse if you have installed a hydromassage shower in your home).

To save water while significantly reducing your bills, you should therefore reduce the time you spend in the shower. In Wales, an association has even invited citizens not to spend more than four minutes soaping and washing their hair, which, incredibly, corresponds exactly to the title Golden years by David Bowie, or the best song to start the day right.

A challenge for individuals (who doesn’t like being in the shower?) but a real necessity for the planet, since the resources of drinking water are not unlimited and the demand is growing. According to the CNRS, “If the current trend of increasing water withdrawals continues, between half and two thirds of humanity are expected to experience so-called water stress in 2025”. There is therefore a risk of a shortage of fresh water.

Water is not immune to inflation: prices rise everywhere in France

This January 1, 2023, the price of tap water has increased everywhere in France due to the explosion in energy prices (the machines and pumps necessary for water treatment consume a lot) and mandatory sanitary products.

The increase varies according to the municipalities, but everyone is affected, with an increase that sometimes reaches 15%, or even 20% depending on the region. Brittany, Normandy but also some departments of Hauts-de-France such as Picardy or Nord-Pas-de-Calais recorded the highest increases. A real cold shower for individuals! Distribution costs, but also the availability of water, are also part of the factors in this price escalation.

Front page image photo credit: Sora Shimazaki on Pexels