A NEW year is a time for a new start so why not start 2012 by pledging to cut down on how much water you waste at home?

A good deal of your water use has a significant impact on the level of your energy bills.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, each person in the UK uses on average about 150 litres of water every day.

However, about 30% of your household energy bill comes from heating the water – including when you shower, run hot water from the tap, and use your kettle, washing machine and dishwasher – costing on average, about £200 per year.

Generating energy produces carbon dioxide emissions – and carbon dioxide is one of the main greenhouse gases which causes climate change.

Heating water in our homes adds up to make up about 5% of the UK’s total carbon dioxide emissions.

Saving a small amount of water is very simple. Doing so can reduce your water bill, if you’re on a water meter, reduce your energy use and bills, the impact on your local environment, and the amount of carbon dioxide emissions – by using less energy to pump, heat and treat the water.

If every UK home reduced their hot water use by just 5%, say the Energy Saving Trust, the carbon dioxide saving would be equivalent to taking more than half a million cars off the roads.

Here are some tips on how you can save on your water bills:

Snub the tub: If everybody in your family of four replaces one bath a week with a five-minute shower, you can save up to £18 a year on gas bills and up to £21 on water bills (if you have a water meter).

Change your head: If a family of four replace their inefficient shower head with a water-efficient one they could save around £72 off their gas bills and around £72 off their water bills (if they have a water meter) each year. That’s a total saving of £150.

Fill ’em up: Make sure that dishwashers and washing machines are full before you use them, and always use the most efficient water and energy settings. When it’s time to replace your appliance, look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo: products with this logo will save both energy and water.

Suds law: Using a sink of water to wash up twice a day rather than having the hot tap running could save around £34 a year on your gas bill and around £25 on your water bill (if you have a water meter). If you need to rinse utensils or wash vegetables, use cold water if possible and don’t leave the tap running.

Go off the boil: Kettles use a lot of electricity, so try not to boil water you won’t use. Most kettles can boil as little as a mugful. This could save you around £7 a year on energy bills. If everyone in the UK did this, we could save enough electricity in a year to power the UK’s street lights for one month.

For more tips, visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk.