In your home, the appliances and fixtures that use most water will usually be the washing machine, dishwasher, shower and toilet.
Water-efficient appliances and fixtures can save you a lot of water and money in the long term. You can also make a big difference to Australia's overall use of clean tap water.
By 2021 Australians could save more than $1 billion on our water and energy bills just by using more water-efficient appliances and fixtures.
More than a third of these savings will come from using more water-efficient showerheads, another third from more efficient washing machines and over 20 per cent from water-efficient toilets.
Saving water
You could be making some big savings:
- Save up to two-thirds of the water you would usually use by replacing an old washing machine with a water-efficient model.
- Save around 18 litres of water a minute in the shower by replacing an old inefficient showerhead with an efficient showerhead.
- Install low flow taps or tap aerators to reduce your tap water use from 18 litres per minute to 2 litres per minute.
WELS ratings
The Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme helps you to compare the water efficiency of a range of products so you can choose the most efficient model for your needs.
WELS rated products can have up to 6 stars. The more stars the appliance has, the more water efficient it will be.
The WELS labels also show a water consumption or water flow figure to help you understand how much water an appliance will use.
Water efficient showerheads can save around $60-$90 annually on household water bills. The reduction in hot water means less energy is needed for water heating, and can save up to $160 on energy bills depending on the type of water heating system you use.
