Taking a tour of a virtual home could help people in Wiltshire reduce their water and energy bills.

Wessex Water has teamed up with the Energy Saving Trust to offer a free online calculator where customers can input their daily water usage around the home.

The facility asks a series of questions ranging from how many times a kettle is boiled to how many showers a household has a day, while also considering factors such as water meters and efficiency grades of appliances.

Kathy Thornton, Wessex Water’s water efficiency analyst, said: "An average person in the Wessex Water region uses around 140 litres of water a day.

"There are many benefits to customers using the calculator such as understanding how they can reduce their water and energy bills and importantly their carbon footprint.

"The personalised tips can help customers make a significant reduction to their household bills.

"Saving water also has a huge range of environmental benefits. Reduced consumption means that less water needs to be abstracted from the environment. It also means that there is a significant reduction in the amount of energy required to treat and transport the drinking and waste water."

Wessex Water said it received hundreds of emails and letters each year from customers sharing water saving tips.

Mrs Thornton added: "We have many initiatives in place to help our customers save water and also offer free water-saving devices for people to use within their home.

"If customers do not have a water meter it may be something worth considering as many people find they use up to 10 per cent less water on a meter and this can significantly reduce their bills.

"It is very positive to see we have so many customers who actively try to save water within their homes."

Andrew Tucker, Water Strategy Manager for the Energy Saving Trust, said: "The links between water and energy aren’t always known, but they’re a really significant part of a home’s bills and carbon emissions.

"We’re proud of our Water Energy Calculator, we believe it’s the best tool out there to help households find out how much they’re using, what it’s costing them, and how much they can save.

"We’re serious about water and energy saving, and we’re really delighted to help Wessex Water with their water efficiency initiatives.

"It’s vital that companies are getting on board with the calculator – helping us get the water and energy message and household-specific advice direct to the people who need it."

To start calculating your water usage, visit www.wessexwater.co.uk/savingwater.