The average person in England and Wales used roughly *** liters of water per day as of 2024. This means that a household of four could potentially use more than *** liters of water a day. Portsmouth Water customers had the highest daily water usage in England and Wales in 2023, at *** liters per person. Metered and un-metered water usage The amount of water consumed by households can vary depending on whether the customer has a water meter installed. On average, households in England and Wales with a water meter consumed around ** liters less per person than those without a water meter. While most homes have traditional water meters, smart water meters have been rolled out since 2016. These allow customers to track water usage, save money, and allow water companies to detect leaks. What uses the most water in UK homes? The average water consumption of household appliances varies greatly, with some using significantly more than others. A full bath uses the largest amount of water by far, at approximately ** liters. This is ** liters more than the average washing machine cycle. Meanwhile, a dishwasher on an eco-setting can noticeably reduce water consumption when compared with a regular cycle.

A single member household uses an average of 54 cubic meters of water annually in the United Kingdom. This figure almost doubled when there were two members per household and increased to approximately 191 cubic meters within a household of five. In terms of daily use, a single person household used an estimated 149 liters per day, with water usage amounting to 276 liters per day when two people lived at home. Baths consume the most water There are many household appliances that use water, such as dishwashers, washing machines or toilets, and each uses varying amounts. However, it is baths that use the largest quantity. On average, a bath consumes 80 liters of water per use. In comparison, a shower uses 46 liters per use. Household water bills The average household water bill in the UK differs from company to company. In 2018, customers of water supply and sewerage utility Wessex Water paid on average 245 British pounds for their water bill. This was the most expensive in the UK. Water bills were on average cheapest for customers of Southern Water, at an estimated 158 British pounds. Southern Water covers areas of East Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Water usage per person in Scotland is the highest in the United Kingdom on average, at 165 liters. This is noticeably more than in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, where less than 150 liters is used per person per day on average.

Household water consumption varies greatly from appliance to appliance, with baths and washing machines consuming by far the most. A full bath in the United Kingdom uses an average of 80 liters of water, while showers are far less demanding. An electric shower uses just five liters per minute, with power showers slightly less efficient at 13 liters per minute.

Household water usage in the UK

The average water usage per person in England and Wales was 145 liters per day in financial year 2022, with a three-year rolling average of 146 liters per day. Water consumption varies depending on whether the customer has metered or un-metered water, with metered water consumption far lower than customers without a water meter.

Water bills

Combined household water and sewerage bills in England and Wales averaged 417 British pounds for the year ended March 2023. On average, customers of South West Water had the most expensive water and sewerage bills in the UK , at 506 British pounds. It is forecasted that bills from this utility will decrease for the year ending March 2022.

Portsmouth Water customers consumed the most water per person per day in England and Wales in financial year 2024, at 154.4 liters. This was higher than their three-year rolling average of 149.3 liters per person per day. Nevertheless, Affinity Water is still the company with the highest three-year rolling average at 154 liters per person per day.

Household water consumption in England and Wales is far lower for metered customers when compared to non-metered customers. In financial year 2024, metered customers in England and Wales used an average of 122.1 liters per person daily, compared with 169.45 liters per day for non-metered customers.

Data History

Data Origin

Domestic consumption data is recorded using water meters. The consumption recorded is then sent back to water companies. This dataset is extracted from the water companies.

Data Triage Considerations

This section discusses the careful handling of data to maintain anonymity and addresses the challenges associated with data updates, such as identifying household changes or meter replacements.

Identification of Critical Infrastructure

This aspect is not applicable for the dataset, as the focus is on domestic water consumption and does not contain any information that reveals critical infrastructure details.

Commercial Risks and Anonymisation Individual Identification Risks

There is a potential risk of identifying individuals or households if the consumption data is updated irregularly (e.g., every 6 months) and an out-of-cycle update occurs (e.g., after 2 months), which could signal a change in occupancy or ownership. Such patterns need careful handling to avoid accidental exposure of sensitive information.

Meter and Property Association

Challenges arise in maintaining historical data integrity when meters are replaced but the property remains the same. Ensuring continuity in the data without revealing personal information is crucial.

Interpretation of Null Consumption

Instances of null consumption could be misunderstood as a lack of water use, whereas they might simply indicate missing data. Distinguishing between these scenarios is vital to prevent misleading conclusions.

Meter Re-reads

The dataset must account for instances where meters are read multiple times for accuracy.

Joint Supplies & Multiple Meters per Household

Special consideration is required for households with multiple meters as well as multiple households that share a meter as this could complicate data aggregation.

Schema Consistency with the Energy Industry

In formulating the schema for the domestic water consumption dataset, careful consideration was given to the potential risks to individual privacy. This evaluation included examining the frequency of data updates, the handling of property and meter associations, interpretations of null consumption, meter re-reads, joint suppliers, and the presence of multiple meters within a single household as described above.

After a thorough assessment of these factors and their implications for individual privacy, it was decided to align the dataset's schema with the standards established within the energy industry. This decision was influenced by the energy sector's experience and established practices in managing similar risks associated with smart meters. This ensures a high level of data integrity and privacy protection.

Schema The dataset schema is aligned with those used in the energy industry, which has encountered similar challenges with smart meters. However, it is important to note that the energy industry has a much higher density of meter distribution, especially smart meters.

Aggregation to Mitigate Risks The dataset employs an elevated level of data aggregation to minimise the risk of individual identification. This approach is crucial in maintaining the utility of the dataset while ensuring individual privacy. The aggregation level is carefully chosen to remove identifiable risks without excluding valuable data, thus balancing data utility with privacy concerns.

Data Freshness Users should be aware that this dataset reflects historical consumption patterns and does not represent real-time data. Publish Frequency Weekly.

Data Triage Review Frequency An annual review is conducted to ensure the dataset's relevance and accuracy, with adjustments made based on specific requests or evolving data trends.

Data Specifications For the domestic water consumption dataset, the data specifications are designed to ensure comprehensiveness and relevance, while maintaining clarity and focus. The specifications for this dataset include: • Each dataset encompasses recordings of domestic water consumption as measured and reported by the data publisher. It excludes commercial consumption. • Where it is necessary to estimate consumption, this is calculated based on actual meter readings. • Meters of all types (smart, dumb, AMR) are included in this dataset. • The dataset is updated and published Weekly. • Historical data may be made available to facilitate trend analysis and comparative studies, although it is not mandatory for each dataset release. • The dataset includes LSOAs with 2 or more meters. Any LSOAs with less than 2 meters have been excluded. • Consumption data is only included where we have the full consumption data for a year for a given meter.

Context Users are cautioned against using the dataset for immediate operational decisions regarding water supply management. The data should be interpreted considering potential seasonal and weather-related influences on water consumption patterns.

The geographical data provided does not pinpoint locations of water meters within an LSOA.

The dataset aims to cover a broad spectrum of households, from single-meter homes to those with multiple meters, to accurately reflect the diversity of water use within an LSOA.

Supplementary InformationBelow is a curated selection of links for additional reading, which provide a deeper understanding of this dataset.1.Ofwat guidance on water meters. https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/prs_lft_101117meters.pdf Data Schema DATA_SOURCE: Company that provided the data YEAR: The calendar year covered by the data LSOA_CODE: LSOA or Data Zone converted code of the meter location NUMBER_OF_METERS: Number of meters within an LSOA TOTAL_CONSUMPTION: Average consumption within the LSOA TOTAL_CONSUMPTION_UNITS: Units for average consumption

In financial year 2024, water consumption for metered Essex and Suffolk Water customers averaged 142.5 liters per day. This was the highest household water consumption throughout England and Wales for metered customers that year. Water consumption for metered customers is typically far lower when compared with non-metered customers. Households with metered water consumption in England and Wales averaged 122.1 liters of water per person per day in financial year 2024.

The average annual household water bill in England and Wales was 199 British pounds for the year ended March 2023. Annual household water bills across England and Wales vary greatly depending on the provider. In the year ending March 2023, Essex and Suffolk Water customers had the highest average water bill, at 245 British pounds. Customers of Portsmouth Water had the lowest average annual water bill in financial year 2023, at 109 British pounds.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data presents information on living standards in the UK based on household income measures for the financial year.

HBAI uses equivalised disposable household income as a proxy for living standards in order to allow comparisons of the living standards of different types of households (that is, income is adjusted to take into account variations in the size and composition of the households in a process known as equivalisation). A key assumption made in HBAI is that all individuals in the household benefit equally from the combined income of the household. This enables the total equivalised income of the household to be used as a proxy for the standard of living of each household member.

In line with international best practice, the income measures used in HBAI are subject to several statistical adjustments and, as such, are not always directly relatable to income amounts as they might be understood by people on a day-to-day basis. These adjustments, however, allow consistent comparison over time and across households of different sizes and compositions. HBAI uses variants of CPI inflation when estimating how incomes are changing in real terms over time.

The main data source used in this study is the Family Resources Survey (FRS), a continuous cross-sectional survey. The FRS normally has a sample of 19,000 - 20,000 UK households. The use of survey data means that HBAI estimates are subject to uncertainty, which can affect how changes should be interpreted, especially in the short term. Analysis of geographies below the regional level is not recommended from this data.

Further information and the latest publication can be found on the gov.uk HBAI webpage. The HBAI team want to provide user-friendly datasets and clearer documentation, so please contact team.hbai@dwp.gov.uk if you have any suggestions or feedback on the new harmonised datasets and documentation.

An earlier HBAI study, Institute for Fiscal Studies Households Below Average Income Dataset, 1961-1991, is held under SN 3300.

Latest Edition Information

For the 19th edition (April 2025), resamples data have been added to the study alongside supporting documentation. Main data back to 1994/95 have been updated to latest-year prices, and the documentation has been updated accordingly.

Using the HBAI files

Users should note that either 7-Zip or a recent version of WinZip is needed to unzip the HBAI download zip files, due to their size. The inbuilt Windows compression software will not handle them correctly.

Labelling of variables
Users should note that many variables across the resamples files do not include full variable or value labels. This information can be found easily in the documentation - see the Harmonised Data Variables Guide.

HBAI versions

The HBAI datasets are available in two versions at the UKDS:

1. End User Licence (EUL) (Anonymised) Datasets:

These datasets contain no names, addresses, telephone numbers, bank account details, NINOs or any personal details that can be considered disclosive under the terms of the ONS Disclosure Control guidance. Changes made to the datasets are as follows:

• All ages above 80 are instead top-coded to 80 years of age.
• The variable for the amount of Council Tax liability for the household and pensioner flags for the head and spouse have been removed.
• All amount variables have been rounded to the nearest £1.
• A very small number of large households (with 10 or more individuals) have been removed from the dataset.

2. Secure Access Datasets:

Secure Access datasets for HBAI are held under SN 7196. The Secure Access data are not subject to the same edits as the EUL version and are, therefore, more disclosive and subject to strict access conditions. They are currently only available to UK HE/FE applicants. Prospective users of the Secure Access version of the HBAI must fulfil additional requirements beyond those associated with the EUL datasets.

Main Topics:

The HBAI data provide information on potential living standards in the United Kingdom as determined by net (equivalised) disposable income and allows for the analysis of changes in income patterns over time.

OverviewWater companies in the UK are responsible for testing the quality of drinking water. This dataset contains the results of samples taken from the taps in domestic households to make sure they meet the standards set out by UK and European legislation. This data shows the location, date, and measured levels of determinands set out by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI).Key Definitions  AggregationProcess involving summarising or grouping data to obtain a single or reduced set of information, often for analysis or reporting purposes  Anonymisation Anonymised data is a type of information sanitisation in which data anonymisation tools encrypt or remove personally identifiable information from datasets for the purpose of preserving a data subject's privacy Dataset Structured and organised collection of related elements, often stored digitally, used for analysis and interpretation in various fields.  Determinand A constituent or property of drinking water which can be determined or estimated. DWI Drinking Water Inspectorate, an organisation “providing independent reassurance that water supplies in England and Wales are safe and drinking water quality is acceptable to consumers.”  DWI Determinands Constituents or properties that are tested for when evaluating a sample for its quality as per the guidance of the DWI. For this dataset, only determinands with “point of compliance” as “customer taps” are included.   Granularity Data granularity is a measure of the level of detail in a data structure. In time-series data, for example, the granularity of measurement might be based on intervals of years, months, weeks, days, or hours ID Abbreviation for Identification that refers to any means of verifying the unique identifier assigned to each asset for the purposes of tracking, management, and maintenance.  LSOA Lower-Level Super Output Area is made up of small geographic areas used for statistical and administrative purposes by the Office for National Statistics. It is designed to have homogeneous populations in terms of population size, making them suitable for statistical analysis and reporting. Each LSOA is built from groups of contiguous Output Areas with an average of about 1,500 residents or 650 households allowing for granular data collection useful for analysis, planning and policy- making while ensuring privacy.  ONS Office for National Statistics  Open Data Triage The process carried out by a Data Custodian to determine if there is any evidence of sensitivities associated with Data Assets, their associated Metadata and Software Scripts used to process Data Assets if they are used as Open Data.  Sample A sample is a representative segment or portion of water taken from a larger whole for the purpose of analysing or testing to ensure compliance with safety and quality standards.  Schema Structure for organizing and handling data within a dataset, defining the attributes, their data types, and the relationships between different entities. It acts as a framework that ensures data integrity and consistency by specifying permissible data types and constraints for each attribute.  Units Standard measurements used to quantify and compare different physical quantities.  Water Quality The chemical, physical, biological, and radiological characteristics of water, typically in relation to its suitability for a specific purpose, such as drinking, swimming, or ecological health. It is determined by assessing a variety of parameters, including but not limited to pH, turbidity, microbial content, dissolved oxygen, presence of substances and temperature.Data HistoryData Origin  These samples were taken from customer taps. They were then analysed for water quality, and the results were uploaded to a database. This dataset is an extract from this database.Data Triage Considerations Granularity Is it useful to share results as averages or individual? We decided to share as individual results as the lowest level of granularity Anonymisation It is a requirement that this data cannot be used to identify a singular person or household. We discussed many options for aggregating the data to a specific geography to ensure this requirement is met. The following geographical aggregations were discussed: • Water Supply Zone (WSZ) - Limits interoperability with other datasets • Postcode – Some postcodes contain very few households and may not offer necessary anonymisation • Postal Sector – Deemed not granular enough in highly populated areas • Rounded Co-ordinates – Not a recognised standard and may cause overlapping areas • MSOA – Deemed not granular enough • LSOA – Agreed as a recognised standard appropriate for England and Wales • Data Zones – Agreed as a recognised standard appropriate for Scotland Data Triage Review Frequency Annually unless otherwise requested Publish FrequencyAnnuallyData Specifications • Each dataset will cover a year of samples in calendar year • This dataset will be published annually • Historical datasets will be published as far back as 2016 from the introduction of The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 • The determinands included in the dataset are as per the list that is required to be reported to the Drinking Water Inspectorate. • A small proportion of samples could not be allocated to an LSOA – these represented less than 0.1% of samples and were removed from the dataset in 2023. • The postcode to LSOA lookup table used for 2022 was not available when 2023 data was processed, see supplementary information for the lookup table applied to each calendar year of data. Context Many UK water companies provide a search tool on their websites where you can search for water quality in your area by postcode. The results of the search may identify the water supply zone that supplies the postcode searched. Water supply zones are not linked to LSOAs which means the results may differ to this dataset. Some sample results are influenced by internal plumbing and may not be representative of drinking water quality in the wider area. Some samples are tested on site and others are sent to scientific laboratories.Supplementary informationBelow is a curated selection of links for additional reading, which provide a deeper understanding of this dataset.   1. Drinking Water Inspectorate Standards and Regulations: https://www.dwi.gov.uk/drinking-water-standards-and-regulations/   2. LSOA (England and Wales) and Data Zone (Scotland): https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files/geography/2011-census/geography-bckground-info-comparison-of-thresholds.pdf   3. Description for LSOA boundaries by the ONS: https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/geography/ukgeographies/censusgeographies/census2021geographies4. Postcode to LSOA lookup tables (2022 calendar year data): https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/datasets/postcode-to-2021-census-output-area-to-lower-layer-super-output-area-to-middle-layer-super-output-area-to-local-authority-district-august-2023-lookup-in-the-uk/about   5. Postcode to LSOA lookup tables (2023 calendar year data):  https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/datasets/b8451168e985446eb8269328615dec62/about6. Legislation history: https://www.dwi.gov.uk/water-companies/legislation/

Welsh Water customers had the highest annual combined water and sewerage bill in England and Wales for the year ended March 2023, at *** British pounds. This was considerably more than the average combined household water and sewerage bill in England and Wales that year. Water utilities companies in Britain In 1989, the water sector in England and Wales became privatized, resulting in the sale of the ** regional water authorities, including Severn Trent, United Utilities, and Anglian Water. With more than ** million customers, Thames Water is the largest water and wastewater company in Great Britain. Water infrastructure in Britain Between 2015 and 2020, investment in Britain's water sector totaled ** billion British pounds. This averaged some ***** British pounds per property over the five year period. Water companies own hundreds of thousands of kilometers of water pipes that span the country. However, many pipes date back to the Victorian era and are prone to leakage. Because of this, billions of liters of water are lost every day.

The statistic illustrates the average time spent in the shower in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2010 to 2012, as reported by respondents to the survey conducted from June 2010 to July 2014. 50 percent of respondents stated that they spend an average of five to ten minutes in the shower. An earlier version of the same report, noted that water used in the bathroom accounted for 68 percent of water used in households in the United Kingdom, and that showers and baths account for 34 percent of household water consumption. This indicates that reductions in shower times would actually be one of the most effective ways of reducing water use in United Kingdom households. In 2013, the average duration of a shower in the Netherlands, for example, was 8.9 minutes.

This statistic represents the average of annual household energy and water bills in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2012. Average energy bills for gas amount to 704 British pounds per year, while water bills for Ofwat amount to 341 British pounds.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The Family Resources Survey (FRS) has been running continuously since 1992 to meet the information needs of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It is almost wholly funded by DWP.

The FRS collects information from a large, and representative sample of private households in the United Kingdom (prior to 2002, it covered Great Britain only). The interview year runs from April to March.

The focus of the survey is on income, and how much comes from the many possible sources (such as employee earnings, self-employed earnings or profits from businesses, and dividends; individual pensions; state benefits, including Universal Credit and the State Pension; and other sources such as savings and investments). Specific items of expenditure, such as rent or mortgage, Council Tax and water bills, are also covered.

Many other topics are covered and the dataset has a very wide range of personal characteristics, at the adult or child, family and then household levels. These include education, caring, childcare and disability. The dataset also captures material deprivation, household food security and (new for 2021/22) household food bank usage.

The FRS is a national statistic whose results are published on the gov.uk website. It is also possible to create your own tables from FRS data, using DWP’s Stat Xplore tool. Further information can be found on the gov.uk Family Resources Survey webpage.

Secure Access FRS data
In addition to the standard End User Licence (EUL) version, Secure Access datasets, containing unrounded data and additional variables, are also available for FRS from 2005/06 onwards - see SN 9256. Prospective users of the Secure Access version of the FRS will need to fulfil additional requirements beyond those associated with the EUL datasets. Full details of the application requirements are available from Guidance on applying for the Family Resources Survey: Secure Access.

FRS, HBAI and PI
The FRS underpins the related Households Below Average Income (HBAI) dataset, which focuses on poverty in the UK, and the related Pensioners' Incomes (PI) dataset. The EUL versions of HBAI and PI are held under SNs 5828 and 8503, respectively. The Secure Access versions are held under SN 7196 and 9257 (see above).

The Family Resources Survey aims to: support the monitoring of the social security programme; support the costing and modelling of changes to national insurance contributions and social security benefits; provide better information for the forecasting of benefit expenditure.
For the third edition of the 2000-2001 survey, the new grossing regime, GROSS 3, has been included.


Main Topics:

Household characteristics (composition, tenure type); tenure and housing costs including Council Tax, mortgages, insurance, water and sewage rates; use of health services; welfare/school milk and meals; educational grants and loans; children in education; informal care (given and received); occupation and employment; health restrictions on work; children's health; wage details; self-employed earnings; travel to work; personal and occupational pension schemes; income and benefit receipt; income from pensions and trusts, royalties and allowances, maintenance and other sources; income tax payments and refunds; National Insurance contributions; earnings from odd jobs; children's earnings; interest and dividends; investments; National Savings products; assets.
Standard Measures
Standard Occupational Classification

The average annual combined water and sewerage bill in England and Wales was *** British pounds in financial year 2023, and is forecast to total *** British pounds for the year ended March 2024. South West Water customers pay the most for their combined water and sewerage bills.

This statistic shows the average weekly purchase per person of mineral water for consumption outside the home in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2006 to 2018/19. In 2018/19, an average of 55 milliliters of mineral water was consumed per person per week.

In the United Kingdom in 2018, people consumed an annual average of ***** liters of soft drinks per person. Consumption of soft drinks per person per year has increased compared to the previous 5 years, and by over * liters when compared to 2017 specifically. In general, 2018 was a year where almost all kinds of soft drinks saw an increase in consumed volume except for still and juice drinks. In many cases this meant a reversal of prior trends. Only one thing is for certain, the soft drink sugar levy introduced in 2018 seemed not to have adversely affected consumption. UK soft drinks market Soft drinks in this context are bottled water, carbonated drinks, still drinks, juice drinks, energy drinks, fruit juices and sport drinks. The ******* share of the market was made up of carbonates. Soft drink brands in the UK All private label brands counted together had the highest share of soft drink grocery sales in the United Kingdom in 2018. Coca Cola products had the second highest sales value followed by Pepsi products and Innocent products. Coca Cola was the single most sold soft drink in the convenience channel, followed by Red Bull.