SAVING energy is the ultimate green goal, but it's just as important to get water-wise.

Global warming, a growing number of new homes and the demand for water-consuming devices, like dishwashers, have stretched our need for water to the limit.

With the average person's water consumption coming in at 150 litres a day according to Essex and Suffolk Water, it seems it is time to take action.

Companies across the UK are joining forces to make people aware of how they can help save the planet and one way to do this is by becoming water-wise.

By making a few small lifestyle changes, it's possible to dramatically reduce your levels of water consumption and ensure there is plenty to go around in the years to come.

The easiest way to save water is in and around the home, where dripping taps waste more than 25 litres of water an hour and washing machines use up to 100 litres a load.

One organisation that knows how vital it is to be water-wise is Essex and Suffolk Water. As part of its green initiative, it is inviting customers to take its Shower Challenge and spend less time in the bathroom.

The company, which recently won three awards from the Environment Agency for its water-efficiency work, is giving away free timers to encourage people to spend a minute less in the shower every day.

Something as simple as that can save up to 40 glasses of water a person.

Clare Ridgewell, Essex and Suffolk Water's demand planning manager, claimed: "The average person uses 40 to 45 litres of water every time they have a shower, which is a lot.

"Although we are a commercial company, we see water as a finite, natural resource that should be valued.

"Saving water is a long-term campaign and as we're in the driest part of the UK, it's important our customers understand how to use water wisely."

Toilets are another key culprit when it comes to wasting water, but you can make a positive difference to the environment by installing a device in your loo which Essex and Suffolk has called the save-a-flush device.

These handy bags fit inside the cistern and stop up to a litre of water from going to waste every time you flush. As well as changing your habits inside the home, there are plenty of things you can do outside, too.

If your plants need watering, do it in the evening so moisture will be retained in the soil overnight.

And never use sprinklers on your lawn - in one hour, they pump out the same amount of water used by a family of four in one day.

For the maximum results with minimum effort, investing in a water butt is recommended.

They are excellent saving water in the garden and can be put to good use at any time of the year.

"Rainwater can always be reused in a dry patch and if you buy more than one water butt, you can link them up to your guttering and store a bit more," Clare said.

"We recently ran a competition to find out who had the most water butts in their garden and one gentleman in Billericay came forward with 19. The most we have ever found in one garden was 32 in Suffolk."

* For more information, call 08456 048 071 or log on to www.eswater.co.uk