Cost of running a hot bath to rise almost 90% to £1,023 this year - but simple switch could save £700

The annual cost of having hot baths is predicted to rise by almost 90% to £1,023 this year, a water company has warned.

Households spent 80% more boiling their kettles last year, according to research by Yorkshire Water, while the yearly cost of using a dishwasher increased to £237 in 2022, up from £133 in 2021.

The company said that while water rates have stayed the same over the last year, the cost of using it in the home has gone up due to rocketing gas and electricity prices.

Calculations by the water company found that running a bath is the most expensive domestic use of water, costing £524.88 in 2022 - a 79% rise since 2021 when costs stood at £303.70. A dishwasher followed closely behind, costing £236.60 in 2022, up from £132.68 in 2021, while using a washing machine cost £222.77 in 2022 – an annual increase of 95%.

In 2022, it cost households £18.69 to boil their kettles compared with £10.37 in 2021 – an 80% increase, the research said. Yorkshire Water’s “Teapot Index” says these costs are predicted to increase by an average of 18% in 2023 while the cost of running a bath is predicted to almost double to £1,023.

Simple changes could save £700 a year

Yorkshire Water said the average household could make a saving of £700 a year by simply cutting shower times to four minutes and switching from three baths to five showers per week.

Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert (MSE) has previously said that shaving just one-minute off your shower time could result in a saving of £207 per year in energy bills, and a further £105 annually in water bills if you have a meter - making a total saving of £312 a year for an average four-person household.

MSE also recommends fitting a free water-saving shower head which could save a typical household around £50 a year on average.

Savings vary by supplier and usage, but the Energy Saving Trust estimates that replacing an inefficient shower head with an efficient one could save a family of four £75 on their gas bill and about £120 on their water bill (if metered) each year.

If you are not on a water meter, you can get one fitted for free in England and Wales and use a water meter calculator to see if it will save you money.

It is also worth turning the water off to lather on shampoo and shower gel before rinsing off as this will ensure you use less water. By using less water it also means you heat less water, thereby reducing your energy costs, as well as your water usage. Even this small money-saving measure can add up over the course of a year.

Yorkshire Water also recommends ensuring your washing machine is full before putting on a load of laundry - a measure which could save between £66 and £124 a year, according to the company.

Emily Brady, of Yorkshire Water, said: “Managing water use in the home is a great way to keep bills down. The environmental benefits to saving water are well known, but there are also great cost savings to reducing your usage – especially when it comes to heating water.”