A survey of 2,000 UK adults found that one in ten people have not had a bath in more than ten years. More than half (51%) agree that bathing has fallen out of fashion, and 48% now say they prefer showers. A further 18% do not have a bath in their home at all.
Bathroom renovations drive the trend
According to the Shower Market Report, bathroom renovations have increased as households remove unused baths. A fifth of those surveyed have had a bath taken out. Of those, 43% did so to create a larger shower space, 42% to modernise the bathroom, and 31% to install a walk-in shower. 14% made the change specifically to reduce their water usage.
A spokesperson for Utilita, which commissioned the research to support its award-winning High5 tips series, including keeping showers to a maximum of four minutes, 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.”
Time and impatience among the reasons
Among those who do not have a bath, a fifth blame a lack of time to relax, while 33% say they are too impatient for the time baths take to run. Other reasons include not wanting to use too much water, either to save money or for environmental reasons. Overall, 77% of respondents described themselves as conscious of the amount of water they use.
Water-saving habits across the UK
Nine in ten (90%) say they take active steps to reduce their water consumption. The most common steps include only filling the kettle with the water they need (55%), collecting rainwater to water plants (29%), limiting hosepipe use (29%), and reusing grey water (13%).
More than a third (35%) have swapped baths for showers specifically to use less water. Three quarters (76%) believe that swapping makes a difference to their water bills, and 77% say the same about taking shorter showers. Nearly a third (32%) said knowing exactly how much money they could save would convince them to cut down, while 30% said seeing real-time costs per minute would do so.
The Utilita spokesperson added: “Swapping baths for showers or reducing the time spent doing either can be a small, easy change that can have a lasting impact. 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.”
