How to save water at home
By taking a fresh look at your household habits, you could save many litres of precious drinking water every day. That way, you’ll stop your money – as well as the water – from going down the drain.
A research carried out by DECO PROteste for IKEA from December 2025 to April 2026, shows that a Portuguese household of three* can save 218€ per year on water by using more efficient equipment, such as taps, showers and dishwashers. Allowing for savings of 147.000 litres of water per year.
*Household made up of three people, two adults and one child or young person. Both adults work outside the home and the child or young person goes to school or university.
The average variable charge for water services for consumption is 1.48€/m³, based on 2025 tariffs in mainland Portugal. This includes water supply and wastewater treatment. As prices vary widely between municipalities, with a range of up to sixfold, this average is not representative of all Portuguese households.
Savings of 29€ per year with the tap on the kitchen sink
All IKEA taps have a built-in aerator that mixes air and water, reducing the flow while maintaining the pressure.
Replacing a sink tap without an aerator with an SALLSJÖN tap makes it possible to reduce water consumption, giving savings of 19.700 litres of water in one year.
Assuming that the tap is running for an average of 12 minutes per day for washing dishes and washing fruit and vegetables and that the flow from the sink tap to be replaced is 12L/min, while the flow from the SALLSJÖN is 7,5 L/min.
For 1- or 2-person households, the tap is assumed to be running for 10 minutes a day. This saves 16,400 litres of water, equivalent to 24€ a year. The results for the TAKSJÖN tap are equivalent, as it also has a flow rate of 7.5 litres per minute.
Savings of 29€ per year with the tap on the kitchen sink
All IKEA taps have a built-in aerator that mixes air and water, reducing the flow while maintaining the pressure.
Replacing a sink tap without an aerator with an SALLSJÖN tap makes it possible to reduce water consumption, giving savings of 19.700 litres of water in one year.
Assuming that the tap is running for an average of 12 minutes per day for washing dishes and washing fruit and vegetables and that the flow from the sink tap to be replaced is 12L/min, while the flow from the SALLSJÖN is 7,5 L/min.
For 1- or 2-person households, the tap is assumed to be running for 10 minutes a day. This saves 16,400 litres of water, equivalent to 24€ a year. The results for the TAKSJÖN tap are equivalent, as it also has a flow rate of 7.5 litres per minute.
Filling the sink to wash the dishes instead of using running water can bring savings of 100 litres of water per day.
Savings of 36€ per year with the wash-basin tap
Replacing a wash basin tap without a flow regulator with the MAJSJÖN tap can reduce water consumption, saving 24,000 L of water in one year.
The tap being replaced is assumed to have a flow rate of 9 L/min, while the MAJSJÖN tap has a flow rate of 4.5 L/min.
For a family of 3, it is used for an average of 14.5 minutes a day for washing hands, brushing teeth and shaving.
For a family of 2, the basin tap is used for an average of 10 minutes a day for washing hands and brushing teeth. This can save 16,700 L of water, equivalent to a saving of 25€ in one year.
Savings of 36€ per year with the wash-basin tap
Replacing a wash basin tap without a flow regulator with the MAJSJÖN tap can reduce water consumption, saving 24,000 L of water in one year.
The tap being replaced is assumed to have a flow rate of 9 L/min, while the MAJSJÖN tap has a flow rate of 4.5 L/min.
For a family of 3, it is used for an average of 14.5 minutes a day for washing hands, brushing teeth and shaving.
For a family of 2, the basin tap is used for an average of 10 minutes a day for washing hands and brushing teeth. This can save 16,700 L of water, equivalent to a saving of 25€ in one year.
Savings of 91€ per year with the shower head
Replacing a shower head without an aerator with a VALLAMOSSE shower head makes it possible to reduce water consumption, giving savings of 61,300 litres of water in one year.
It is assumed that the shower is running, on average, for 24 minutes per day for this household of three, considering eight minutes per shower, and that the flow from the shower head to be replaced is 15L/min, while the flow from the VALLAMOSSE shower head is 8L/min.
For a family of 2, the shower is running for an average of 16 minutes a day, saving 40,800 L of water, equivalent to a saving of 60€ a year.
Savings of 91€ per year with the shower head
Replacing a shower head without an aerator with a VALLAMOSSE shower head makes it possible to reduce water consumption, giving savings of 61,300 litres of water in one year.
It is assumed that the shower is running, on average, for 24 minutes per day for this household of three, considering eight minutes per shower, and that the flow from the shower head to be replaced is 15L/min, while the flow from the VALLAMOSSE shower head is 8L/min.
For a family of 2, the shower is running for an average of 16 minutes a day, saving 40,800 L of water, equivalent to a saving of 60€ a year.
Reducing shower time from ten to five minutes brings savings of 225 litres of water per day.
Savings of 62€ per year with the dishwasher
Using the RENGÖRA dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand can save 42,000 L of water a year.The baseline scenario assumes that the dishes are washed by hand with the tap running for 10 minutes every day, at a flow rate of 12 L/min.
In the new scenario, the dishes are washed in the dishwasher three times a week, without pre-rinsing and only when it is full, using 12 L of water per cycle.
For a family of 2, using the dishwasher can save 33,200 L of water a year, equivalent to a saving of 49€ a year.
Savings of 62€ per year with the dishwasher
Using the RENGÖRA dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand can save 42,000 L of water a year.The baseline scenario assumes that the dishes are washed by hand with the tap running for 10 minutes every day, at a flow rate of 12 L/min.
In the new scenario, the dishes are washed in the dishwasher three times a week, without pre-rinsing and only when it is full, using 12 L of water per cycle.
For a family of 2, using the dishwasher can save 33,200 L of water a year, equivalent to a saving of 49€ a year.
Installation of an ÅBÄCKEN mist nozzle for mixer taps without this feature.
Tips and ideas for saving at home
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