Use a shower timer

A shower timer helps you reduce your energy and water consumption in the shower, which is great for the climate and the environment. As well as your energy bill. The timer gives a (gentle) reminder to not waste water, so that you don’t have to keep track of time yourself.

Why use a shower timer

The amount of time we shower has a huge impact on the climate and our gas bill. For instance, the average shower time in the West is about 8 minutes1,2, while the time we need for practical purposes is usually a lot less. If we take that 8 minutes to 4, that means a 50% reduction in your hot water usage for showering. Interestingly teenagers often shower for 20-25 minutes, elderly people usually just 4 to 5 minutes2. So the gains differ a lot from person to person.

A timer can easily save you 50% energy and water in the shower

While many people are willing to take shorter showers, for some a shower is not just a quick practical cleaning act, it’s a time to contemplate, relax and refresh. These tips as an assault on your ‘me time’, they are simply given for anybody that is interested in lowering the impact on the climate and their gas bill.

What kind of timer to get

If you have an old cooking timer lying around you could use that, but if you want to take it into the shower you could buy one. Simply search for ‘shower timer’ and you’ll find many options.

If you have to use more time on certain days compared to other days, for instance because you need to wash your hair, it’s best to go for a timer that can do different timings. Also it’s good if you can set them as easily as possible and that you can hear the alarm, so that you’ll actually use the timer and don’t miss it when it’s over.

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