Water companies have been accused of giving customers ‘laughable’ advice to deal with the worst drought since 1976 – including using oak barrels to collect non-existent rain and putting their feet up instead of cleaning the car.
Other tips include going online to look at a list of pop songs that last for four minutes – the maximum amount of time people are advised to have a shower.
Critics have slammed the ‘daft’ advice, which has been emailed or handed out to customers in the wake of hosepipe bans, introduced to cope with dwindling water supplies and the exceptional heatwave.
Thames Water suggests people should wipe themselves down with a cloth instead of taking a shower to cool off, wash dogs in leftover paddling pool water and relax on the sofa instead of cleaning the car.
Water companies have been slammed for ‘daft’ advice handed to customers in the wake of a hosepipe ban, including washing dogs with leftover paddling pool water (file pic)
The firm, owned by a consortium of foreign interests, advises: ‘From oak barrels to clay pots, there’s something for everyone.’
Meanwhile, Southern Water, which has imposed a hosepipe ban in parts of Hampshire and Sussex, suggests customers challenge themselves to finish a shower in the time it takes to listen to a four-minute track from a list of songs.
The hosepipe ban, which was introduced last week, comes as 3,113million litres of water are lost daily through holes in the nation’s 215,000 mile-long network of pipes and industry leaders are paid salaries running into the millions.
Severn Trent Water – whose boss Liv Garfield earned nearly £4million last year – wastes 425million litres of water a day.
The company is advising families not to fill paddling pools to the top to save water.
Following analysis by The Mail on Sunday last weekend, which showed the biggest water companies have handed bosses £50million, Lib Dem MPs are calling on the Government to ban new bonuses until leaking infrastructure is fixed.
Tim Farron, the party’s rural affairs spokesman, said: ‘It’s outrageous that while millions suffer from hosepipe bans, water company execs reward themselves with bonuses despite not even bothering to fix leaks.’
Water companies have introduced the hosepipe ban as a reported 3,113million litres of water are lost daily through holes in the nation’s 215,000 mile-long network of pipes
Cat Hobbs, of We Own It, which campaigns for water firms to be put into public ownership, said: ‘Are the firms competing to offer the daftest advice?Who has an oak barrel, even if there was any chance of rain to fill it? ‘Water firms’ hypocrisy is incredible.
‘They say every drop is precious, but our privatised water firms lose billions of litres of water every single day due to leaks.’
‘This is because they are prioritising paying shareholders and CEOs rather than fixing leaks.’
The hosepipe bans have been brought in as high temperatures and low rainfall continues in the UK.Pictured: A woman walks through dried brown grass on Blackheath Common on Saturday
The ‘tips to beat the drought’ follow similarly risible advice offered by energy firms last winter.
SSE Energy Services told customers to do star-jumps, cuddle pets and Game Casino Onlline eat porridge to keep warm.
A Thames Water spokesman said: ‘We have no way of knowing how long this very dry weather will last so we need to plan carefully.
‘Customers can really help us with this long-term planning by using water wisely.’
A spokesman for Water UK said: ‘Water companies are committed to radically reducing leakage.’