The water
Use less, so there’s more
The single most powerful thing any household can do.- A1 Shorten the shower Five minutes is the efficient baseline. Every minute you cut is roughly 10 litres — and it adds up fast across the year. A shower head with a flow restrictor makes it easier.
- A2 Kill the running tap Turn it off while you brush, lather or rinse the pan. A tap left running can waste over 10 litres a minute — a whole day’s reserve in an hour.
- A3 Ditch the hose In a dry summer, use a watering can for pots and borders. Water early morning or evening, on the plants that need it, not the lawn. This is the biggest single summer saving.
- A4 Fix the leaks A dripping tap or a slow-running cistern can waste thousands of litres a year. Check the meter overnight with nothing used — if it moves, you have a leak.
- A5 Respect every ban When a hosepipe ban or drought restriction is in force, follow it. The ban is the system telling you it is under strain — and the strain is exactly what makes a fire hard to fight.
The home
Make your property fire-smart
- B1 Clear the dry fuel Keep grass, bracken and dead vegetation trimmed and cleared away from the house, outbuildings and fences. Dry, piled-up fuel next to a wall is the fastest way a garden fire becomes a house fire.
- B2 Mind the hot equipment Run mowers, strimmers and grinders only when the ground is damp, never in dry grass, and keep them clean of grass and debris. A single spark on dry bracken is how many fires start.
- B3 Control the fire you choose Keep barbecues and bonfires well clear of walls, fences and dry ground, and never leave them unattended. Let ash cool completely before it goes anywhere near dry material.
- B4 Know your access If you live in open country, make sure the fire service can actually reach you: a clear, signposted approach and a place they can stage water and equipment.
The safety
When the fire weather arrives
- C1 Know the warnings In a dry, hot, low-humidity summer, watch the fire-weather and heat warnings. Afternoons are the peak fire window — that is when extra caution is worth most.
- C2 Have a plan If you live in exposed country, agree a family plan: how you will leave, where you would meet, and what you would take. A few minutes of preparation beats a panicked decision.
- C3 Report and move See smoke or fire, call 999 and get out of the area. Do not wait to be sure. A fast report gives the crews the head start that decides the outcome.
The list is short on purpose. Every item is something one household can do today — and every household that does it makes the whole system a little safer.
The point — prevention is personal, and it adds up