Dripping taps, leaking pipes and faulty appliances can all add to your monthly bills. But there might be another less obvious reason why you’re paying more.
If you live in an area with hard water – usually in the South East because of the chalk and limestone in the region – it could be making your appliances less efficient.
Perhaps most importantly, it can affect your boiler making it harder to heat your home and with wholesale electricity prices increasing again, could add hundreds to your bills.
We look at how hard water might affect your bills and what you can do to prevent limescale buildup.
How does hard water affect your bills and why?
There is nothing wrong with hard water and it is perfectly safe to drink, but it can be a serious problem for household appliances.
Hard water usually contains more minerals like magnesium and calcium, which are left behind when it dries. When it builds up it creates what is known as limescale.
Limescale builds even faster on appliances that use hot water, like kettles, washing machines, dishwashers and boilers, because it evaporates quicker than cold water.
This in turn makes the heating elements in pipes and boilers much less effective.
Ben Gallizi, energy expert at Uswitch says: ‘Limescale acts like an insulator and makes it harder for heating elements to do their work.
‘Even a thin layer of scale on boiler tubes can reduce efficiency by a quarter.’
Once the heating elements become less effective, the appliances ‘have to work much harder to reach their required temperature levels to perform their function,’ says Jerry Whiteley, technical manager at the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE).
‘This means more electricity is consumed by the machines for a longer period of time, pushing up energy bills.’
Limescale residue will slow down appliances but it can also cause damage to your appliances.
‘Over time, the buildup of limescale on the inside of pipes restricts the flow of water in the system. This can impact performance and the lifespan of fittings,’ says Whiteley.
‘Fittings such as taps wear down quicker, electric showers can burn out their elements , or expensive digital showers become blocked and fail.’
If it’s ignored, limescale can become very expensive as you spend more on new appliances or to pay for someone to replace components in your plumbing system.
How to prevent hard water ruining your appliances
If you’re worried about limescale build-up, it’s best to prevent it rather than fix the problem.
Whiteley recommends a ‘dedicated hard water detergent on surfaces or run empty cycles in washing machines. Using white vinegar every couple of months to clean mineral buildup on chrome surfaces may also help.’
Gallizi urges households concerned about hard water buildup to have their boiler serviced every year to ensure it is running safely and efficiently.
‘Next time you have your boiler serviced, you could also ask the engineer about a power flush to clear out the system of hot water pipes that take heat to your radiators.
‘This too can improve efficiency, as can installing an inhibitor to prevent sludge from building up in your system in the first place.’
If you have a boiler that’s over 5 years-old, it might be worth looking into boiler cover to insure yourself against any pricey call-out fees.
Many suppliers provide affordable boiler cover. Home Tree’s cover starts from £3.45 a month with unlimited call-outs and a £95 excess.
British Gas also offers similar cover from £3.50 a month with a £99 excess.
Gallizi adds: ‘Although your boiler may not need to be repaired regularly, you might be very happy you have cover should anything go wrong.’
Is a water softener system the solution?
If you’re worried about hard water in your area, it might be worth investing in a water softener or filtration system to remove minerals from the water.
However, these are expensive to fit – roughly £1,000 – and require salt blocks to be replaced in the system every few weeks, which cost around £6-£8 a block.
Lee Boyce, This is Money editor, had one fitted six years ago – and says: ‘We have hard water in our part of Essex – and I suffer from psoriasis of the scalp.
‘It was after a chat with a barber about my condition that he said just how hard the water is in the area – and that I’d be better off washing my hair with rainwater – that I then started investigating a water softener system.
‘The quality of the water plays a part in any flare-up I have, so I decided to take the plunge. It comes with a separate tap for drinking water (not connected to the softener).
‘The difference is night and day when it comes to the shower – and with two small children, I like knowing they are bathing in ‘softened’ water. Skin, after all, our largest organ and should be treated as well as possible.
‘It’s hard to tell whether it is making to our boiler, radiators and appliances more efficient, or making them last longer, or reducing bills, but it’s an added bonus if it helps prolong the life of expensive things around the home.
‘Hard water is said to affect around 17million homes – and one water softener firm claims it could be adding £500 to annual energy bills of a typical household.
‘I think that figure is completely overcooked, but it’s definitely worth investigating whether a water softener system would work for you if you live in a hard water area, and especially if you – or a family member – suffer with a skin condition.’
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