Description
Waterwise is a British not-for-profit organisation that gives free advice on using less water at home, with figures for each use, a water calculator and guides, and campaigns for water efficiency across the UK.
According to Wikipedia, it was set up in 2006 by the UK water companies to promote water efficiency. It is now funded by supporters across the water sector, sponsorship, and research projects. Its supporters include Thames Water, Anglian Water, Severn Trent and Scottish Water, and people from water companies sit on its board. In 2022 it published the UK Water Efficiency Strategy to 2030, and it runs a yearly Water Saving Week.
Its advice pages give concrete numbers. Showers, toilets and baths make up about half of household water use. A bath takes around 80 litres, a low-flow shower about 6 litres a minute against 10 to 15, and a dual-flush toilet 4 to 6 litres against up to 13. A leaking toilet can waste up to 400 litres a day. Many water companies give out free cistern displacement devices and check for leaks, which Waterwise points to rather than selling anything. Average use in the UK was about 142 litres per person per day in 2020.
Strengths
- The advice gives litres for each use, which shows where the real savings are: showers, toilets and leaks.
- It sells nothing, and points to free devices from the local water company.
- The calculator and guides are free and need no account.
Weaknesses
- It is funded by the water companies whose leaks and supply it comments on, and their staff sit on its board.
- Its legal form and accounts were not found on the pages checked.
- The advice pages have typos and some figures without a source or a date.
Who it is for
Households in England, Wales and Scotland who want to cut their water bill, especially on a meter, and want figures before buying a new shower head or toilet.
Sources
- Waterwise: home, about us, how to save water, Water Saving Week 2026 (checked November 2026)
- Wikipedia: Waterwise
- Water UK: Vast majority of Brits have no idea how much water they use each day (2020)