Shower vs Bath Cost Calculator
Compare the cost of a bath against a shower — energy to heat the water plus metered water charges — and see how many minutes of shower use it takes to match one bath.
Estimate only. These are estimates — appliance ratings and tariffs vary, and actual water use, mains temperature and boiler efficiency vary by home. Check your own energy and water bills for the rates that apply to you.
| Per person / year | Whole household / year | |
|---|---|---|
| Bath | £181 | £722 |
| Shower | £144 | £578 |
At this flow rate, about 10 minutes of shower costs the same as one bath.
Fitting a 6 L/min eco showerhead would save about 13.19p per shower at the same length, on top of what you're already comparing.
Cutting your hot water costs
- Try the 4-minute shower challenge — cutting shower time is the single easiest way to reduce hot water costs, with no fitting required.
- An eco (6 L/min) showerhead usually pays for itself within weeks and keeps cutting your bill for as long as it's fitted.
- On a metered supply, cutting water use saves you twice over — once on the energy to heat it, and again on the water + sewerage charge itself.
- A bath isn't always the more expensive option — a short, low-flow shower and a full bath can cost about the same, so check the break-even point above rather than assuming.
How the shower vs bath cost is worked out
Both a bath and a shower need water heated by roughly the same temperature rise, so the cost comes down to how many litres you use. A bath uses a fixed amount regardless of how you feel that day; a shower's litres depend on the flow rate of the showerhead and how long you're in there, which is why shower length matters as much as the showerhead itself. Each litre is costed for the energy to heat it (adjusted for boiler efficiency on gas) plus, if you're on a water meter, the water and sewerage charge per cubic metre. Multiplying by 365 days and by the number of people in the household gives a full annual picture — often the number that makes cutting shower time worth the effort.