Saving Water in the UK During Heatwaves and Dry Spells
The UK is not a dry country, but it is an unevenly wet one. South-east England has less water available per person than parts of the Mediterranean, and hot, rainless spells now arrive more often and last longer. This guide explains what happens when supplies run low, what the rules actually are during a hosepipe ban, why water has a carbon cost, and which savings make a real difference at home and at work.
Why dry summers strain UK water supplies
Most of England's public water comes from two sources: surface water held in reservoirs and rivers, and groundwater drawn from aquifers, particularly the chalk that runs under much of the south and east. Both depend on winter rain. Summer rainfall, even heavy thunderstorms, mostly evaporates or is taken up by plants before it reaches the water table.
That is why a dry winter followed by a hot summer is the dangerous combination. Reservoirs start the summer low, demand spikes as people water gardens and fill paddling pools, and there is no recharge until autumn. During a heatwave, daily demand in some supply areas can rise by a third or more, and the extra water is mostly going onto lawns.
The Environment Agency expects England to face a shortfall of several billion litres a day by 2050 without action, driven by population growth, a hotter climate and the need to leave more water in rivers for wildlife. The response is a mix of new reservoirs and transfers, cutting leakage, and reducing how much each of us uses, with a government target of 110 litres per person per day by 2050, down from around 140 today.
Treating, pumping and heating water takes energy. The water industry is one of the largest electricity users in the UK, and Water UK estimates the sector accounts for roughly a third of the country's industrial and waste process emissions when wastewater treatment is included.
At home, the biggest carbon cost is heating it. Hot water is typically the second-largest use of energy in a UK house after space heating. A shorter shower saves water, gas and money all at once.
The industry has committed to net zero operational emissions by 2030. See our net zero guide for how sector pledges fit the national target.
What drought status actually means
Drought in England is managed region by region by the Environment Agency, with Natural Resources Wales, SEPA and NI Water doing the same elsewhere. There are four stages, and restrictions on customers only normally begin at the second.
The first stage in the Environment Agency's framework. Rainfall has been below average for long enough that river flows and reservoir levels are falling. Water companies step up leak repair and ask customers to use water wisely, but no restrictions apply.
Declared regionally by the Environment Agency when reservoirs, rivers and groundwater are significantly below normal for the time of year. Companies may apply for drought permits to take more water from rivers, and Temporary Use Bans (hosepipe bans) become likely.
Public water supply is under real pressure. Non-essential use bans can extend to businesses, and in the most serious cases companies can apply for drought orders restricting commercial use. The UK has not reached this stage nationally in modern times, but regional supplies have come close.
Rainfall has returned but reserves take time to refill, especially chalk aquifers in southern England that recharge over winter. Restrictions are usually lifted in stages and may stay in place into autumn even after wet weather.
Hosepipe bans: what you can and cannot do
A hosepipe ban is formally a Temporary Use Ban (TUB) made under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. It is imposed by your water company, not the government, so neighbouring areas can have different rules on the same day. Breaking a TUB is a criminal offence with a fine of up to £1,000, though companies rely overwhelmingly on warnings. The restrictions apply to anything connected to a mains tap: hosepipes, sprinklers, pressure washers and irrigation systems.
Not allowed during a ban
- Watering a garden, allotment or lawn with a hosepipe or sprinkler
- Washing a car, boat, patio, driveway or windows with a hosepipe
- Filling or topping up a swimming pool, paddling pool or hot tub with a hosepipe
- Filling an ornamental pond or fountain with a hosepipe
Still allowed
- Watering by watering can or bucket, or with harvested rainwater and grey water
- Using a hosepipe for health, safety or medical reasons, or by Blue Badge holders (check your supplier)
- Commercial use that is part of your business, such as a garden centre or car wash (unless a Non-Essential Use Ban applies)
- Filling a pond that contains fish or other aquatic animals
Exemptions vary between companies. Always check the notice your supplier publishes, which lists the exact prohibited uses and who is exempt. Water companies in England and Wales are listed on the Water UK site.
Household savings that make a difference
The average person in England uses around 140 litres a day. Roughly a third of that goes down the toilet and a quarter through the shower and bath, so the bathroom is where the big savings are. Garden use is small over a year but dominates demand on the hottest days, which is exactly when supply is tightest.
Bathroom
A standard shower uses roughly 10-12 litres a minute. Keeping showers to four minutes and fitting an aerated showerhead can save thousands of litres a year per person. A cistern displacement bag in an older toilet saves about a litre per flush.
Garden
Established lawns survive weeks without watering and recover when rain returns; browning is not dying. Water pots and vegetables in the early morning or evening at the roots, mulch beds to hold moisture, and let a water butt collect what falls from the roof.
Kitchen and laundry
Only run dishwashers and washing machines full; the eco setting uses less water as well as less energy. A running tap uses around six litres a minute, so a bowl for rinsing and a jug of drinking water in the fridge both add up.
Leaks and meters
A dripping tap can waste over 5,000 litres a year, and a leaking toilet many times that. If you are metered, read it last thing at night and first thing in the morning; any movement with nothing running means a leak. Most suppliers offer free leak checks and water-saving kits.
Should you switch to a water meter?
Around 60% of households in England and Wales are metered. If you have more bedrooms than people you will almost certainly pay less on a meter, and most companies let you switch back within 24 months if the bill goes up. Metered households use about 15% less water on average, simply because they can see what it costs. Use the free calculator on the Consumer Council for Water site to compare.
Water efficiency for businesses
Water is rarely a business's biggest utility bill, which is why it is so often ignored. But it is one of the easiest to cut, and heavy users increasingly face questions from landlords, lenders and larger customers about water risk alongside carbon. Pubs, hotels and restaurants in particular combine high water use with high hot-water energy use; see our hospitality energy guide.
Most commercial premises in England are now on the open retail market and can choose their supplier. Before you can cut use you need to know it; monthly meter reads, or a smart meter, show where water goes and flag leaks fast.
In hospitality it is dishwashing, ice machines and cellar cooling. In offices it is urinals on timed flushes and poorly set taps. In manufacturing it is cooling and wash-down. Each has a known fix: waterless urinals, flow restrictors, closed-loop cooling and trigger nozzles.
Rainwater harvesting for toilet flushing and irrigation is well established in new commercial builds and can be retrofitted. Grey water reuse is viable where there is a high volume of hand-washing or showering, such as gyms and hotels.
A Non-Essential Use Ban can stop you cleaning vehicles, windows or external areas with a hose. Businesses that rely on those activities should hold a water plan showing how they would operate under restrictions and what their exemptions, if any, would be.
Companies reporting under SECR or TCFD are not required to disclose water use, but many choose to because water stress is a recognised climate risk. Our carbon reporting guide covers what is mandatory and what is voluntary. For the building fabric measures that cut hot-water energy, see building energy efficiency.
Official sources
Check current drought status and restrictions directly: the Environment Agency publishes a weekly water situation report for England, and every water company lists live restrictions on its own site.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I still water my garden during a hosepipe ban?
- Yes, but not with a hosepipe, sprinkler or irrigation system connected to the mains. You can use a watering can or bucket filled from a tap, and you can use a hosepipe connected to a water butt or grey-water tank. Watering at the roots in the early morning or evening makes each can go much further.
- Is a hosepipe ban the same as a drought being declared?
- No. Drought is declared by the Environment Agency for a region based on river, reservoir and groundwater levels. A hosepipe ban, formally a Temporary Use Ban, is imposed separately by each water company for its own supply area. One company may impose a ban while a neighbour does not, and bans can be introduced before or after a drought declaration.
- What is the fine for breaking a hosepipe ban?
- Up to GBP 1,000 on conviction under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. In practice water companies rely on warnings and very few prosecutions have ever been brought. The bigger risk is simply making the shortage worse for everyone on the same supply.
- Why does saving water reduce carbon emissions?
- Water has to be pumped, treated, pumped again, and then collected and treated as wastewater, all of which uses electricity. At home, heating water is the second-largest use of energy after space heating. Using less water, and especially less hot water, cuts the energy and emissions at every stage.
- Will a water meter save me money?
- Usually, if there are more bedrooms than people in your home, because unmetered bills are based on the property's old rateable value rather than use. Most water companies let you switch back to unmetered within 24 months if your bill rises. The Consumer Council for Water has a free calculator to compare both options.
Have a question we haven't covered? Get in touch or browse the carbon glossary.