How ditching one fridge item can save UK households £1,454 a year

As energy prices rise again this winter it's safe to say everyone is still feeling the pinch and looking for 'quick and easy' ways to save money.

That's easier said than done though when you've already slashed your use, swapped to cheaper food and started turning off the lights to pinch the pennies and you feel like there's not much wiggle room left.

But there is one common consumer habit which can cost an average family of four £1,450 a year or more - and it's easy to cut it right out without having to give up anything.

Bottled water can cost as much as 5p per 100ml for a branded bottle - even after buying bottles in bulk. For an average family of four, all drinking the recommended eight glasses per day (2L), that works out at £1,460 per year.

By contrast, tap water costs 0.15p per litre on average.That means that drinking the *exact same amount* of tap water as a branded bottled water for a family of four would cost... £4.38. Per year.

That's a saving of £1,454.62p per year.

But isn't tap water worse for you? And isn't it packed with weird additives, pipe gunk and lacking in added minerals that spring or mineral water provides?

According to various official sources, concerns about drinking water safety in the UK are unfounded and there are strict controls in place to manage tap water quality.

Furthermore, the government does not advise you to use a filter for your tap water at home. So you don't even need to shell out money for even the most basic filter jug - more money saved!

According to DiscoverWater.co.uk: "Drinking water must meet strict standards that ensure it is safe to drink and the quality is acceptable to consumers."

"Very strict standards apply to drinking water they are set to protect public health and to ensure water quality is acceptable to consumers."

The standards cover micro-organisms, chemicals such as nitrate and pesticides, metals such as lead and copper, and the way water looks and how it tastes. A consumer advice leaflet on www.DWI.gov.uk has more detail on national drinking standards and regulations

"There is no need to install a filter with the home as a health protection measure. By law your water company has to supply water that is safe to drink and the test results show that on practically all occasions the water passes the tests for water quality."

"Some customers choose an activated carbon filter to remove the taste and odour of chlorine - however, simply storing a covered jug of drinking water in the refrigerator will work just as well."

"You should regularly clean your drinking water taps in your home with your normal kitchen cleaning fluid, followed by thorough rinsing. Bacteria and other microorganisms occur naturally and are found on the outside of the tap and inside the lip of the spout."

Of course, there's also the environmental impact of drinking bottled water. Yes, plastic bottles are widely recycled - but recycling still takes energy and not 100% of the bottle will be melted back down, and nor are new bottles made from 100% recycled plastic. So there's still an amount of wastage even if you recycle. Put simply, tap water is much 'greener' than bottled.

If you prefer the taste of nice, crisp, chilled water from the fridge, you can simply buy a cheap reusable container such as a large pitcher with a lid and simply fill it up from the tap and pop it in the fridge.

There's nothing stopping you drinking bottled or mineral water of course, but if you're looking to save a few quid in these trying times, swapping to tap water's probably the quickest, easiest and safest thing you can swap right now.