There’s nothing better than getting up in the morning and stepping into a powerful shower which blasts away the cobwebs and wakens you up completely.
Power showers have become much more popular in recent years, but with some of the most powerful showers using more hot water than a long soak in a bath, they’re not the best option if you’re trying to save on your heating bills.
There are however a few options if you are thinking of having a power shower fitted or have one already and are trying to keep a cap on costs.
Limit the time
It’s pretty obvious that the longer you spend under the shower, the more you are spending to heat the water.
A 10 minute shower under the most powerful electric shower will cost 27.5p, and costs for showers which use your gas boiler to heat the water are similar.
By cutting your showering time down to 5 minutes you will save almost 14p a day, which mounts up to £50 a year.
If lots of people in the house are using the shower every day, the savings will be considerably more.
Many of the water companies sell give away free of charge shower timers which you can use to keep track of time, or you can pick one up for £5 on sites like Ebay.
Use an eco shower head
An eco shower head is one which has been specially designed to give the feeling of a very powerful shower while using less water.
The shower heads are compatible with most existing showers, and you just have to unscrew the old shower head and replace it with the new one.
This is a great option for getting the power shower experience on the cheap if you do not have the funds to replace the whole shower as a new head will only cost you around £25.
Replacing your shower
If you are fed up of a trickle of water coming out of the shower in the morning then sometimes the best option is to replace it with a new one.
Buying the new shower doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of money, as the majority of showers on the market cost between £70 and £150.
If you have bought an electric shower then you will need to get a properly qualified electrician to install it, and if it is a plumbed in shower which runs off your combi boiler, a registered plumber is the best person to help.
Ask friends or relatives if they are prepared to recommend a tradesman who has recently completed work for them, or look on Top Tradespeople for companies in your local area.
Always get at least three quotes for the work in writing, and as a rough guide you can expect to pay between £150 and £300 to have your new shower fitted depending on what type of shower it is and how complex the wiring and plumbing work is.
Remember also to factor in additional costs such as decorating and tiling.
