Metered or not, don't be a family of water wasters 19th April 2009
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The Environment Agency recently called for water meters to be installed in every home in the country.

But whether you have one or not, there are lots of ways you can help the environment by cutting down on your water use.

And if you DO have a meter, you will cut your bills at the same time.

Jacob Tompkins, managing director of Waterwise, said: "Each person in the UK uses about 150 litres of water a day and about a third of it is wasted."

Here are six tips for saving water:

1. Don't use your toilet as a dustbin - an unnecessary flush uses another cistern full of water. Put face wipes and cotton wool balls in the dustbin instead. If we all did, it would save 27 million litres A WEEK.

2. Use an aerated showerhead such as an Ecocamel. By nearly halving flow rate, it saves water - and also the cost of heating thousands of litres of the stuff every year.

3. Take showers instead of baths.

4. Turn the tap off when you brush your teeth - a running tap wastes 6 litres of water a minute.

5. Fit a displacement device in your toilet cistern - available free from your water company. They stop it filling completely, saving up to 3 litres per flush.

6. Get a water butt to gather rainwater from your roof. It can be used to water your garden or clean your car and windows.