Hi, can anyone give me a rough idea of how much it costs to use the hose for say half an hour. With the current heat my two kids love playing around with water in the garden, especially spraying each other with the hose. But I’m concerned about how much it will cost. I’m not looking for an exact about here, just very roughly am I looking at €1, €5 or €20?!
Hi @Zoe
Which part of France are you in ??
I know that there has been talk of upping the price of water to households, due to the drought conditions in many parts of France… plus an attempt to make folk more careful of their actual water usage… “waste not want not…”
Meanwhile, I’m trying to locate the online site which tells us how much water is used during a 5 minute shower… (I’ve already posted it somewhere)
that will enable you to check volume against prices on your latest Water Bill.
I suggest that running the hose for 30 minutes might not be the best idea… unless the water is recuperated and reused…
I don’t know the answer, but for anyone interested, here is how to check if water is restricted where you are: https://vigieau.gouv.fr/
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Fair point @crabtree24
I was presuming that @Zoe was in an unrestricted area…
otherwise the children’s waterfights will be very expensive, 1500€ is the fine for abusing restrictions if I recall correctly… 
Thanks @crabtree24 , the map wasn’t much good being too confused round here but I was able to check our address and there are no restrictions. Having bought a Karcher power wash I can now clean the glass roof of the kitchen veranda. Ideal for laying back and watching the storms when they do arrive. 
How about getting hold of some cheap and cheerful water pistols instead?
Or a couple of watering cans
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that’s a good idea @Susannah
water recuperated from the showers/sinks (water running cold until the heat comes through) can be used to fill the pistols…
We’re filling buckets regularly via the shower and sinks… then using that water for other bits and bobs… hoping to see a reduced water bill as a result (as well as “saving the planet” 
)
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Average diameter hoses use between 60 and 90 litres a minute. So 10 to 15 minutes to use up a cubic meter of water. Which, with all the additional costs for us would be over €4.
As a comparison we now use under 2 cubic metres a week!
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That’s massive given the cost and the use of all that water. We will stick to the water butts and buckets in the shower to recuperate water for plant use
Not that we are ‘agriculteurs’ as the french would say when looking at flower beds or english style gardens in our part of France.
We will stay with just plain grass and let it grow or let it brown as needs be according to the calendar
I’m in the Savoie
These zones are on alerte
Beaufortain – Val d’Arly, Chéran, Combe de–Savoie – Val Gelon, Flon – Aiguebelette, Guiers – Chartre
If you are in one of those areas you shouldn’t be using any water outdoors between 8am and 8pm.
C’est à ce niveau-là que l’arrosage des jardins, balcons, pots et pelouses sont alors interdits. Cette interdiction est généralement appliquée de 8h à 20h.
A cheap paddling pool would be a lot more economic!
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Hi @Zoe
I suggest you are very careful with your water usage…
it seems to me that back in June the Savoie Prefecture issued an instruction for everyone to be very thrifty/miserly with their water…
“Le préfet de la Savoie appelle les usagers à une utilisation parcimonieuse de l’eau. Il est recommandé à tous les usagers de poursuivre leur démarche de gestion économe de l’eau.”
Perhaps you could check at your Mairie… ask them about today’s restrictions… it will put your mind at rest to know one way or the other. Let’s face it… no-one wants to be fined.
@Zoe
This is tonight’s News… might be best to reduce water usage to an absolute minimum for the moment…
Thanks everyone. It sounds like water pistols are best bet!
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