One in 10 Brits have not had a bath in more than a decade, according to a survey of 2,000 adults that reveals a dramatic shift in UK bathing habits.
The research found 51% believe bathing has gone out of style, while 48% now favour a shower. A further 18% do not even have a bath in their property, with some making the change to cut their water consumption.
Baths ripped out for showers
Recent studies, such as the Shower Market Report, have witnessed a rise in renovations to strip out redundant baths. A fifth of people have had a bath ripped out from their homes to create a bigger shower space (43%), update their bathroom (42%), or switch to a walk-in shower (31%).
Why baths are falling out of favour
A fifth of those who do not own a bath blame a shortage of time to unwind, while 33% are too restless for the time they take to fill. Other factors include reluctance to use excessive amounts of water for cost-saving or environmental reasons, with 77% describing themselves as mindful of their water usage.
A spokesperson for Utilita, which commissioned the research to support its High5 tips series including keeping showers to four minutes maximum, said: "Once a staple of the home, baths seem to have fallen out of favour for many across the UK. From homes getting smaller to costs getting higher, there are numerous reasons why this might be. But however you choose to clean and refresh, the most important thing is being conscious about your water usage, for the sake of both your pocket and the planet. It's great to see so many people are already doing this and have faith in the money they could save on their bills from this simple act. And no matter whether you prefer baths or showers, everyone can be a water-savvy person."
Water-saving measures
Nine in 10 (90%) take proactive measures to cut their water consumption, such as only filling the kettle with the water they need (55%), collecting rainwater to water plants (29%), restricting hosepipe use (29%), and re-using grey water (13%).
More than a third (35%) have switched from baths to showers for this reason. Three quarters (76%) believe this makes a difference to cutting their water bills, with 77% saying the same about taking shorter showers.
Three in 10 (32%) said knowing precisely how much money they could save would persuade them to cut back, while 30% said seeing real-time costs per minute would do the same.
