Energy-efficient taps and shower heads
One fifth of the energy consumption of a single-family household is used for domestic hot water. The proportion is even higher in apartments. You can reduce both the water consumption and the energy consumption by means of new resource-efficient water taps and shower heads.
When the handle of an ordinary single-lever mixer tap is opened for full flow of warm water, the energy consumption is very high. In the new resource-efficient mixer tap, the handle automatically moves to an “energy saving setting” for both lower temperature and lower water flow.
Warm water use must be selected actively
Ordinary single-lever mixer taps in the kitchen and washbasin deliver lukewarm water when the handle points straight out. In the same position, the new mixer taps deliver cold water. This enables you to be certain of this position, without having to think whether you need warm or cold water. For lukewarm or warm water, you must move the handle to the side. If you want to have very warm water, you must hold the handle in the outer position. When you then release the handle, it will spring back. This function enables you to reduce the warm water consumption. In addition, you reduce the risk of scalding yourself.
Lowers the energy consumption
Taps for kitchens, washbasins and showers that are adapted to the actual need can lower the energy consumption substantially. If you replace three of the taps in the household with taps that are economical on resources, you can lower the energy consumption for water heating by almost 40 percent.
Change the shower head
If you shower for five minutes a day and have an old shower head (that often delivers 12 litres of water/minute), the annual energy consumption will be 1000 kWh. An economical-flow shower head will halve the cost.
Old tap – new tap nozzle
You need not buy a new tap to save water and energy. You could just change the old tap nozzle to a water-saving nozzle known in Sweden as “perlator” or “sparlator”. A good nozzle can provide the same comfort as the previous one, but water will be saved since the nozzle mixes air into the jet of water even at low flows.
Test your shower
If you are uncertain of how much water your shower uses per minute, you can test it buy measuring the time it takes to fill a 1-litre jug. Five seconds is equivalent to about 12 litres/minute.
Example: Shower
Måns and Lena each showers for 15 minutes daily, using a shower that delivers 12 litres per minute. Måns and Lena have an energy consumption for showering of 5000 kWh annually. They pay SEK 1 per kWh for the electricity that heats the hot water. So showering alone costs them SEK 5000 a year.
They decide to change their habits and cut down on showering. They come down to 5 minutes a day each. Due to the new habit, the annual energy consumption for showing ends up at 1700 kWh instead. So Måns and Lena have managed to save SEK 3300 per year on their showering alone.