Are Showers Bad For The Environment?

A 2019 survey reported in The Mirror polled Brits on the shower vs bath debate. More than half of the people interviewed said they preferred showers, mainly for convenience reasons. At Advanced Showers, we couldn’t agree more.  However, although this is a personal decision, we can’t forget that our choices have an impact on the environment and on the availability of vital natural resources like water. In this article we discuss the relative sustainability benefits of baths and showers and offer some tips for sustainable shower use.

Baths Vs Showers: What You Need To Consider

Water usage is a key consideration. Generally speaking, quick showers use much less water than baths. However, showering can use more water than bathing if a shower lasts more than 10 minutes.

Frequency is another factor to consider, since showering daily could end up using more water than bathing once or twice a week.

The environmental impact of showers is also related to the use of hot water. Power showers (which combine hot and cold water) can use twice as much water as a bath, since you need to wait for the water to heat up. They also use more energy (derived mostly from either coal-based mains electricity or gas-fired boilers), so you need to take into account the environmental impact of energy production.

8 Tips For More Sustainable Shower Use

1. Take shorter showers, even if it’s once or twice a week.
2. Switch to an aerating shower head, which uses fewer litres per minute.
3. Consider using a mist shower kit, which can use up to 40 times less water while still making showering an enjoyable experience. 
4. While waiting for hot water to come through in the shower, collect the cold water in a bucket and reuse it elsewhere in the house or garden.
5. Try to take warm (not hot) showers, at least during the warmer months of the year.
6. Install a shut-off valve that automatically prevents water from exceeding 35°C.
7. Invest in an energy efficient boiler to reduce hot water consumption.
8. Fix dripping shower heads.
   
   

Find Out More

If you manage or design shower rooms in commercial units or in multi-dwelling residential buildings, you’ll know that every step counts towards reducing the environmental impact of water and electricity usage.

We invite you to learn more about how our shower pods fit within your environmental strategy, by downloading our free Shower Pods Guide.

Image source: Unsplash