The obvious energy saving tip is: Especially on hot summer days, don’t take a very hot shower. But what about bathing – is it really a waste of water compared to showering?
It’s a well-known saying that showering instead of bathing saves hot water – and with it the energy needed to heat it up. But, is this really the truth?
The answer is: yes. It ultimately depends on the length of the shower, the water consumption of the shower head and the capacity of the respective bathtub. So there can be situations in which the water consumption of a full bath is actually lower than that of a long shower. A few numbers:
take a shower
According to the non-profit consulting company co2online, you use up around 30 to 80 liters in a six-minute shower. This can be tight, for example when you wash long hair in the shower and have to rinse out the shampoo and conditioner again. So maybe for many people it’s more like 12 minutes – with 60 to 160 liters of water consumption per shower.
Baden
A water-saving body shape tub holds 90 to 150 liters of water. It is oval or round in shape so that there is less empty space next to the body in the full tub – and therefore less space that has to be filled with water. A bath in a conventional tub, on the other hand, uses 150 to 200 liters. Large-capacity bathtubs can hold more than 200 liters, corner bathtubs even more than 300 liters.
Conclusion
Basically, showering saves water compared to bathing. For example, co2online has calculated that if you do without a bath a week with around 150 liters of water in the tub, you can save over 25 euros in energy costs a year if you shower for six minutes instead. However, if you take a shower for more than ten minutes, you won’t be able to do it. This assumes that from this period of time, with a flow rate of 15 liters per minute, the water consumption of a bath will be exceeded.
But there are savings tips for both variants:
Tip 1: Take a bath together
The water consumption per capita for a bath can be reduced if two people get into the tub. Often common with children and quite popular with couples – if only because it can be fun.
Tip 2: Take a shower as short as possible
Turn off the water when soaping and shampooing. And maybe shave your legs with some water from the sink instead of under the running shower water. Such tips reduce the shower time – and thus save energy. And especially in summer you can take a shower with the lowest possible water temperature.
Tip 3: Don’t shower or bathe every day
For hygiene reasons, it is not necessary to shower every day. Extensive showering every day even means stress for the skin. The dermatologist Jan-Olaf Piontek, a member of the professional association of German dermatologists, points this out.
