As essential as water is to life itself, up and down the country, we’re seeing more evidence of leaks wasting millions of litres, spiralling utility costs, and drinking water that’s affected by bad taste and smell. With all this going on, it’s easy to see why plenty are turning to alternatives for their drinking water. But with costs involved too, what’s the best or cheapest way to buy it?

Why do people drink bottled water?

People have been adding bottled water to their weekly shopping lists for years, whether it’s the odd bottle or for a regular supply. According to a Guardian report in 2018, “we drink more than 50 litres of bottled water each year”. And though that’s four years ago, there probably hasn't been much of a decrease in those figures.

Of course, bottled water is also convenient. But it can also be a question of what tap water can taste like straight from the tap. Though the UK has an incredibly high drinking water standard, depending on where you live, many believe it tastes bad or chemically, putting them off from drinking it.

A YouGov poll from 2020 shows "those who drink bottled water every day (65%) are more likely than those who never do (46%) to say that water does have a taste.”

The cost of bottled drinking water

The average person uses around 142 litres of water a day, of which about 30 litres is ‘cold tap use’ for drinking water and other low-use things. And with the average cost of UK mains tap water being approximately £1.60 per cubic metre (that’s 1,000 litres) versus an average of £1.00 for a litre of bottled water, you can already see a big difference in cost.

Though buying bottled water in bulk – as larger single bottles or multipacks – will reduce costs, there are still big profits for bottled water companies. But bottled water also poses a problem for storage when full and all the single-use plastic or glass bottles left behind.

And even though we’re all more focused on recycling wherever we can, far too many of these bottles end up in landfill or find their way into our oceans and rivers – at great cost to the environment.

Water coolers can tackle taste and waste

So while drinking 100% clean and safe tap water is definitely a cheaper way to buy your drinking water, and better for the environment than any bottled water, there’s still that question of taste. But a Thirsty Work mains fed or bottled water cooler for your daily drinking habits will help tackle waste and taste.

Serving delicious pure-filtered water, either through our own bottled natural spring water or advanced water filter technology on our mains fed models, water cooler rental costs start at just £4.60 a week – including all your deliveries, installation, service, and maintenance. So you get all the health benefits of premium bottled water without the waste at a fraction of the cost.

Choose Thirsty Work for a sustainable change

The habit of buying expensive, single-use plastic or glass bottled water can be a tough one to break, but the money you save should be a good catalyst for change. And with a slice of those savings going towards a cost-effective water cooler, you could be making a sustainable change in your life.

So why not try it and see the results for yourself? Call our customer service team today on 01392 877 172, or email hello@thirstywork.com, and we can get you started on your no-obligation 10-day free trial.