Showerheads
As heating hot water represents about 17% of total typical household energy use, it makes sense to consider whether water efficient, sometimes called optimised, showerheads can help reduce the volume of hot water we use.
Our Showerhead category contains products that regulate the flow of hot water.
Simply reducing the flowrate of the showerhead would help to reduce the volume of water we use, but would likely result in an unsatisfactory shower experience. To overcome this problem, regulated showerheads aerate (i.e. mix air into) the water. The result is a similar shower experience to a higher flow rate shower, for less water used.
These products are only suitable replacements for some mixer and power showers. If you have an electric shower, you will not be able to replace your showerhead with a regulated flow showerhead. As electric showers heat the water instantaneously, their design typically works with a relatively low flowrate already. There are likely no water savings by fitting these showerheads to an electric shower. In fact, it may cause damage, as the fittings are incompatible.
You should always check with the retailer or manufacturer for further details about compatibility with your system.
For a competent DIYer, showerhead replacement should be a straightforward task and most appliances can be installed without the help of a technician. If you rent your home, you should consult with the property owner before purchasing and installing a new showerhead.
These products represent the most energy efficient models in their category. Our Selection Criteria details the minimum standards the products must meet in order to display on our site, including further information about the performance indicators used.