Yorkshire Water's nine easy hacks to saving water as Harrogate hosepipe ban looms

Saving water is important all year round as by reducing the amount of water you use, it can help cut down your water and energy bills, as well as helping to protect the environment by keeping reservoirs and rivers topped up.

Following Yorkshire Water’s announcement that a hosepipe ban will come into force from August 26, it is more important than ever that we do our bit to save water.

To help households reduce their water usage, Yorkshire Water has compiled a list of easy tips and tricks that everyone can try, to help save water around your home:

Be dishwasher savvy - ensure that it is fully loaded with dirty dishes before use, and always opt for the eco setting.

Brew for two - only boil the amount of water required for your brew round – think twice about how much water you actually need.

Scrape (don’t rinse) - rinsing dishes is a common culprit for wasting water.

Simply scrape away any leftover food, which can then be used for compost bins too.

If you do need to soak your pots, pans or plates, do so in a basin instead of running water.

Collect the cold - cold showers are not for everyone and collecting cold water in the shower whilst waiting for it to heat up is an easy way to reuse water that otherwise would’ve gone to waste.

Use it around the house or garden to water your plants.

Four-minute showers - cutting down on your time spent in the shower - even by a minute - could save on water use.

Yorkshire Water has created a fun shower playlist on Spotify full of four-minute songs, which is a handy way of timing your shower.

Rain, rain, don’t go away - collecting rainwater in garden water butts is a great way to save water as it conserves the collected rainfall for use during the drier, hotter weather.

You can pick one up at most DIY or garden centres, or for a more cost-effective solution, you can simply leave several containers outside to naturally fill with rainwater.

Eliminate the competition - Weeds grow quickly and compete with your plants for valuable moisture, so regular weeding ensures that your watering is not wasted on weeds and instead, helps your beautiful garden plants thrive.

Time it right - water your plants early in the morning, or in the evening, so that water doesn’t evaporate in the heat of the day before your plants get chance to soak it up.

Similarly, infrequent soaks rather than frequent sprinklings will save on water usage and also encourage roots to search for water deeper in the ground.

Layer up - mulching is a great tip for retaining moisture in gardens during the hotter weather.

Adding a layer of leaves, bark or compost over your flower bed helps to retain moisture and reduce the need for watering.

Incorporating just a few of these changes will help to reduce water wastage to not only help the environment, but also save some pennies.

For more advice, visit www.yorkshirewater.com/your-water/save-water/