When offered the choice of a bath or shower, historically we would have been more likely to advise taking a shower, based on the lower water consumption. However, new products on the market makes the decision less clear cut.
The water consumption associated with bathing varies considerably depending upon the size of bath.
The Bathroom Manufacturer Association’s (BMA) Water Efficiency Rating Scheme rates a selection of water-using appliances against a scale. The rating for baths ranges from the greenest baths with a total capacity of less than 155 litres, to the most water-intensive baths with a capacity over 200 litres.
Three new baths from Armitage Shanks pitched as space-savers; the Cameo 1500, the Sandringham 1500 and the Showertub, are all almost 200mm shorter than the average bath, saving around 9 litres of water when full.
A regular bath (typically using at least 80 litres) would only become a water-saver if you shower for longer than 10 minutes under a low-flow shower head, whereas these compact baths become more efficient than a 9-minute shower.
If you have a shower over your bath, a simple water efficiency test you can try next time you take a shower is to put the plug in whilst you shower and see how full the bath is once you’ve finished. If it’s less than you’d fill for a bath, keep showering!
Specifying a compact bath in a new build will also help improve a developer’s score in The Code for Sustainable Homes, with top marks offered to houses that achieve a predicted 80 litres/person/day total consumption.
The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 mandate that installers notify the local water company where they intend to install baths with capacities in excess of 230 litres. This is designed to recognise that baths with large volumes have the potential to increase domestic water consumption and allows for the compulsory fitting of water meters to accommodate this.
