Reducing your water usage is as much about saving money as it is conserving our precious H2O reserves, and your kitchen is one of the best places in your home to start.

Just think of all the water that's used in the average family kitchen on a daily basis, on washing up, cooking and drinking. It's a lot. Now consider how you can cut down on this.

Take a look at your kitchen sink tap for starters. Is it old and leaky? According to the Energy Saving Trust, a dripping tap can waste more than 5,500 litres of water a year!

Fitting a new one will solve the problem. Kitchen taps from BathEmpire feature ceramic discs in place of rubber washers that are less susceptible to limescale and help to eliminate the problem of leaks.

They are also fitted with aerators which combine air with the flow of water and produce a bubbling 'champagne' effect, allowing you to use less every time you switch on the flow.

Think about how you use your taps too. Are you guilty of leaving them running while you carry out other kitchen tasks? The Energy Saving Trust reckons a running tap wastes more than six litres of water a minute, so if you're not using it, turn it off.

Of course there are numerous other ways to cut down on how much water you use in the kitchen. Only boil the volume of water you need and reuse any leftover glasses of water by pouring them on houseplants.

Also, never run your dishwasher unless it's full, and when buying a new dishwasher, check its energy rating. Those rated A are the most efficient and therefore the cheapest to run. Many models also have an eco cycle that uses less water and less electricity.