– Figures calculated using 2025/26 metered charges show residents could save up to £107 per person annually by switching from baths to showers
– A family of four could save around £430.28 annually if all members of the household swapped from a soak in the tub to showering
– Figure is above UK average of £85 as Severn Trent Water ranks 9th out of 33 companies in terms of expense
20th February 2026 (Leeds, UK) – Making the switch from baths to showering could save Birmingham residents on water meters, and battling the cost-of-living crisis, around £107 per person annually by opting for showers instead of baths.
The data, compiled by bathroom retailer Sanctuary Bathrooms, found that households with large baths, who fill them at least halfway each time during use, could save as much as £107.57 per person each year by making the switch.
Savings of around £12.37 per person annually could also be made by those with smaller baths using around only 80 litres of water.
That means for a family of four that is stretched financially, savings between £49.48 and £430.28 across the household could be made by making the switch depending on the size of bath used.
And those amounts are set to rise further still with a raft of price increases already announced for later this year from water companies.
These figures were calculated by comparing the standard metered rate for each water company from the current 2025/26 year, and multiplying this by the water usage of small and large bathtubs with half-filled capacities, as well as the typical usage and duration of showers.
For a small bathtub with a capacity of around 160 litres that is half-filled and using only 80 litres, the cost would be around £76.15 per person annually, while larger ones of 360 litres in capacity – or 180 litres when half-filled – would cost £171.35.
Meanwhile, showering would cost around £63.78 per person each year based on an average shower using 10 litres of water per minute, combined with the average time people spend in the shower of 6.7 minutes researched by experts at the Universities of Surrey and Swansea.
Severn Trent Water customers based in zones 1 to 8, which are located across the Midlands, are charged rates ranked 9th out of the 33 areas compared, being charged 260.80p per 1000 litres used.
This is 54p more than the UK average, but 48p cheaper than the country’s most expensive area in Wessex Water customers.
That suggests that altering bathing habits could be more beneficial to local residents than to a lot of other areas due to the higher costs having to be paid, especially with potential price increases on the horizon later this year.
The UK average saving could be £85.19 per person per annum when choosing showers over a large bath, while doing so versus a small bath might save £9.80 per person annually on average.
However, the amount of money that can be saved by switching to showers can vary based on how much the shower uses per minute, coupled with the amount of time people spend in the shower. Some companies also offer special alternative rates for customers, which may affect the overall saving.
Tips for those maximising savings from showering include:
-Keep time spent in the shower short as possible
-Never allow a shower to run for a period of time before getting in
-Look at investing in smaller shower heads to reduce the amount of water usage
This information comes as a survey conducted by Sanctuary Bathrooms into showering vs bathing habits found that many Brits are already ditching the bathtub, with 15 million individuals aged 18 and above, or 28% of those polled, having already made the switch from baths to showers.
That is on top of 3 in 5 (59%) stating that they have always preferred showering to bathing.
James Roberts, Director of Sanctuary Bathrooms, said of the findings:
“With the cost of living constantly on people’s minds at the moment, switching from baths to showers – even partially – could help those on water meters save extra money throughout the year.“
“The savings could be even more significant for those with larger households, particularly in those areas that are charged more for water usage.“
“Those already using the shower more can also save money by keeping showers short, not leaving water running, and also changing to showers that use a lower amount of water per minute.”
