• Households could save up to £1,100 a year by softening their water as they grapple with rising energy bills

• Making the switch to soft water could increase take home pay by up to 11% for households in hard water areas

• Soft water requires less cleaning, toiletry, and detergent products – saving households around £594.12 a year on shopping alone

• A new interactive map shows the regions in the UK that suffer significantly with hard water, potentially impacting over 13 million homes overall

28th September 2022 – New research reveals that 60% of UK households1 (over 13 million) could save thousands on their annual bills by installing a water softener in their home.

With energy prices set to be capped at £2,500 for the next two years, and as the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact households across the UK, individuals are seeking ways to reduce their bills.

Research by the UK’s leading water softener company, Harvey Water Softeners, shows that switching to soft water could save households up to £1,100 a year2 across household bills, detergents, cleaning, and toiletry costs, and appliance maintenance and repairs. This is because homes use significantly less products due to the benefits of using soft water.

Soft water helps lather up soaps and toiletries far better than hard water, so in turn, individuals won’t need as much to get the best results. From shampoo to scale removers, the savings on these products could amount to £594.12 for a family of four.

£184.47 can be saved on detergents such as fabric softener because these products react better with soft water, again, meaning less is needed. 

Those living in hard water areas are also more prone to limescale deposits building up within their heating system, which can cause blockages in pipework and boilers.

This reduces the overall efficiency of a heating and plumbing system, resulting in higher energy bills. With smoother running appliances, consumers could save up to £115.88 on gas and electricity bills.

Furthermore, because with less limescale build-up appliances will work better and last longer, £181.90 can be saved on appliance maintenance and repairs.

The regions deemed to have the hardest water supplies in the UK are:

Tony Jones, General Manager at Harvey Water Softeners comments, “For those living in a hard water area, one way of offsetting soaring energy bills over the long-term is to install a water softener. As indicated by our research, doing so will help many individuals and families bring down their yearly energy bills, as well as improve the efficiency of their heating system.

“Softened water can benefit everyone, which is why there are flexible options available and a variety of sizes to fit any home, with friendly UK-based experts on hand for ongoing support.”

Harvey Water Softeners is expanding operations to the North of England, bringing with them their expert understanding of how to tackle the perils of limescale for thousands of residents living in hard water areas.

To find out more about how hard water could be impacting different households, visit the interactive soft water savings map.