thedoghouse

Hello. Appreciate your comments. All things considered, I think our bosch machine is not as bad as I first thought - it's probably me not using it efficiently. It has been a great washer (okay, the dryer no longer works, but that's probably no bad thing - saving on water at least!!). It's 10 years old, and been very reliable - still going strong, and as long as I know the water consumption isn't way above that of a modern one, I'm happy with that. When it does finally "die", and after reading some of the info on your main site, if we can afford it, I think we would go for a Miele model. as you say, there are many other factors to consider, and their water consumption seems to be average for a modern machine. Otherwise, I would be happy with another bosch. I'm impressed with the Miele website - it's nice to see what the water and energy consumption is for different programmes, and not just for specific ones, as most other manufacturers seem to offer. Excellent website, by the way.

Thanks for that info. Looks like our trusted old machine isn't as greedy as I thought, considering it's age!! Yes, I have done the overnight test - meter didn't move at all. You said about families being worse off on a meter. We are actually just a couple here, so maybe we shall have to have a serious look at our general water consumption. It's finding a balance between saving the planet, saving money and staying clean!!!! I shall have a browse on the Miele website ( and others), just to compare consumption rates. Someone did suggest we have our meter checked, but according to our supplier, they rarely "over-record" - with most faulty meters they actually "under-record". (But the they would say that, wouldn't they?) At least it looks like our Bosch machine isn't way above average anyway.

We haven't actually checked the level of water in the machine, but our water meter is inside the house, so I have started "monitoring" usage, as best I can. Assuming I'm reading the meter correctly, I did a delicates wash today (full load), and it looked like it took over 70 litres. We have a combi boiler, and we do have to run the tap a while to get the water hot, but don't leave taps running if we can help it. Have done the water company's suggested check for leaks - all seems okay. Compared to friends' water bills, and usage "calculators" on the 'net, our consumption is high. The washing machine is used quite frequently - is 70 litres for a delicates cycle excessive, compared to new machines? We do have the oldest machine amongst our friends with water meters - they all complain how long theirs take to do a cycle ( ours seems fast in comparison). But we have "compared" usage around the house, and don't seem to use any more than the average person, which makes me wonder about the washer. (I know I may sound a bit obsessive, but our water bills have been almost double the average)!! As I said, now we don't use the dryer on the machine, we hope to see a reduction, but I still have my doubts about the washer consumption.

I have a bosch washer dryer that is 10 years old. Our water is metered, our bills seem quite high. Hoping to see a reduction now that we have a new dryer (only use in wet weather!). I am told that our washing machine will still use lots of water compared to newer machines. Is this correct? Would it be worth considering buying a new washer to reduce water consumption? I have no idea how much water our current machine uses, but based on our bills, and the fact that we are not extravagant with water, I think the washer is the main culprit. Does anyone know roughly what the water consumption might be on our washer. And does it use less on a short wash cycle? (I use the short wash most often). It has been a good machine, but we bought it before we had a water meter! Has anyone else noticed a significant reduction in water consumption after buying a modern washing machine?