Eco savvy

By Svenja Gernoth, Sponsored pictures – On Tap , Jeeves and Radiant Group

The bathroom is often the one room in the house where the greatest amount of water is used and some simple measures can easily be put into place to minimise wastage.

Firstly, experts suggest installing a timer on your geyser, wrapping it in a thermo blanket and then setting the thermostat to a lower temperature. This process alone can cut your electricity bill in half. Kurt Vermaak of On Tap also suggests installing a dual-flush water closet.

In terms of taps, ones which have a sensor built in to start and stop the flow of water as soon as you place your hands underneath are a good option. These prevent the unnecessary wastage of water. Prisca Mashanda, marketing manager of Cobra, also suggests installing water-saving aerators which can be easily fitted to taps and mixers and are restricted to give a flow of six litres per minute.

Taking a quick shower instead of a luxurious soak in a full tub is guaranteed to reduce the water bill, but installing a water-saving shower rose can be doubly effective.

Craig Taylor of Bathroom Butler suggests installing stainless steel accessories and heated towel rails as these are 100% recyclable. Bathroom Butler’s innovative PTSelect system, enables the user to control the temperature of the rail depending on the time of year, cutting costs by up to 60%. Marcelle Raikes of Jeeves further notes that the company’s products are compatible with solar-heated geysers.

This brings us to the next important factor of greening your bathroom – lighting. The experts of Radiant Lighting suggest using low voltage halogen downlights for functional bathroom use and if placed close to the mirror, their illumination can be further enhanced.

Integrating some of these eco-friendly elements into your own bathroom will not only prove functional, but will certainly reduce your carbon footprint and electricity bill at the end of the month too.