Bath Vs Shower Calculator

The daily choice between taking a bath or a shower is more than just a matter of personal preference; it has real implications for your wallet and the environment. The Bath vs. Shower Calculator is a tool designed to help you quantify these differences by estimating the water and energy costs associated with each option.

Understanding the Calculation

This calculator breaks down the cost into two main components: water consumption and the energy required to heat that water.

For a shower:

• Water Usage: It multiplies your shower duration (in minutes) by the average flow rate of a standard showerhead (around 2.1 gallons per minute in the US).
• Energy Usage: It then calculates the energy (in kWh) needed to heat that specific volume of water.

For a bath:

• Water Usage: It calculates the water used based on how full you typically fill a standard-sized bathtub (which holds about 80 gallons).
• Energy Usage: Similar to a shower, it calculates the energy needed to heat the volume of water for your bath.

The final cost is determined by multiplying these usage figures by your local water and electricity rates.

Practical Example

Let's say a 10-minute shower uses about 21 gallons of water. A bath filled 70% full in an 80-gallon tub uses 56 gallons. Even before calculating energy costs, it's clear the bath uses more than twice the water. Our calculator will show you exactly how this translates into dollars and cents, often revealing that a shorter shower is significantly more economical.