Mum shares three 'rules' that saved her family hundreds on water bills every year

Emma Stretton has shared some tips for cutting down on your water bills - and she insists that it's not as dirty as it might sound at first

A Manchester mum has come into the spotlight by sharing her savvy water-saving tips online. Emma Stretton, balancing motherhood and Instagram fame through her @emma.wears.it.all account, has drawn over 30,000 followers for her cost-cutting tricks amidst soaring water bills.

In collaboration with Victoria Plumbing, she's giving out advice on how to dial back on water usage, which could ease the financial pressure on households.

Toppling the common habits in water consumption, Emma's got three tactics to share:

1. Rethink your flush

Did you know around 30% of our water expenditure is simply flushed away?, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Waterwise, a leading authority on water efficiency in the UK, backs this up.

Emma advises less frequent flushing to conserve water. "Generally speaking, there isn't really a need to flush your toilet after every wee. Once I found out that most of the water use in my home came from flushing my toilet, a rule was made that the toilet was only flushed after a number two," explains Emma.

She does make exceptions for when the loo gets a bit whiffy, adding: "There are a few bends to that rule though, if any pesky smells are filling up in the bathroom from the toilet being used a few too many times, then I will allow a flush. Just make sure you tell any boys in the house to keep the toilet seat down! ".

2. Shower every other day

According to Waterwise, the average person uses 12 litres of water per minute while showering, and with multiple family members showering daily, costs can quickly add up. To address this, Emma recommends reducing the frequency of children's showers.

"With the kids being at school every day collecting dirt, it can be difficult to refrain from cleaning them every day. I've found that it is best to shower them every other day, or sometimes even less," Emma said. "I set two days a week when they need to be showered: Sunday with school starting the next day and Thursday after Rugby. Any dirty nails or smudges on their faces in the meantime are nothing a soapy sponge at the kitchen sink can't fix."

3. Only wash uniform when dirty

Emma also advises against washing school uniforms too frequently, as a washing machine can consume up to 50 litres of water per cycle, leading to excessive water bills. Emma's tip is to only wash uniforms when they're truly dirty.

"Keeping your kids uniform smelling fresh and clean is always important. You may have the urge to want to wash their uniform every day but doing that is unnecessary and often a huge waste," Emma said. "By buying your kids two pairs of trousers/skirts and having around 3-5 shirts, you can wash their uniform all in one day so they are prepared for the week ahead. I recommend changing your kids trousers/skirts every Wednesday and alternating their shirts every other day, depending on if their uniform gets really dirty! ".