Bath or Shower: Which Is Cheaper?

A short shower is cheaper than a bath in most UK homes, but a long power shower or a long electric shower can cost more than a bath heated by a gas boiler. This guide answers bath or shower which is cheaper with transparent maths at October 2026 price cap rates, shows the break-even shower length for each type of shower, and explains how to check your own figures.

Quick answer: A short shower is usually cheaper. A typical 80 litre bath heated by a gas boiler costs about 25p at October 2026 cap prices, while an 8 minute mixer shower at 8 litres a minute costs about 20p. A 9.5 kW electric shower overtakes a gas-heated bath after roughly 6 minutes, and power showers sooner.

How much water does a bath use compared with a shower?

A bath typically uses around 80 litres of water, while a short shower can use as little as a third of that. Those are the figures given by Waterwise, the UK water efficiency charity, which also warns that shower flow varies enormously, from 2 to 25 litres a minute, and that some power showers use more water than a bath.

So the honest answer depends on two numbers: how fast your shower runs and how long you stay in. You can measure the flow rate yourself by holding a bucket under the shower for 10 seconds, measuring the water and multiplying by 6 to get litres per minute.

How much does it cost to heat a bath?

An 80 litre bath needs about 2.8 kWh of heat, which costs roughly 25p with a gas boiler or 73p with an electric immersion heater at October 2026 cap rates. Here is how we worked it out, so you can swap in your own numbers.

• Heat needed: water needs about 4,185.5 joules per kilogram for each degree it is warmed, according to standard specific heat capacity data. Warming 80 litres from an assumed 10°C mains temperature to an assumed 40°C bath temperature takes 80 × 4,185.5 × 30 ÷ 3,600,000 = 2.79 kWh.
• Gas boiler: assuming the boiler turns about 90% of the gas into hot water (real figures vary by boiler and pipe runs), that is 2.79 ÷ 0.9 = 3.10 kWh of gas. At the Ofgem cap average of 7.97p per kWh, the bath costs about 24.7p.
• Electric immersion heater: nearly all the electricity becomes heat in the water, so 2.79 kWh at 26.32p per kWh is about 73.4p, before any standing losses from the cylinder.

The prices come from the Ofgem price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026, which sets average direct debit unit rates of 26.32p per kWh for electricity and 7.97p per kWh for gas in England, Scotland and Wales. Standing charges are paid whatever you do, so we leave them out of the comparison.

How much does a shower cost compared with a bath?

An 8 minute shower costs between about 15p and 37p depending on the type, compared with about 25p for a gas-heated bath. The table uses the same assumptions as the bath: 10°C in, 40°C out, a 90% efficient gas boiler for mixer and power showers, and the October 2026 cap rates.

Electric shower costs are simply the rating in kW multiplied by the hours used and the unit rate: 9.5 kW × 8 ÷ 60 hours × 26.32p = 33.3p. The water volumes for electric showers are what that power can heat by 30°C, which is why they run more gently than a mixer shower. Flow rates for mixer and power showers are examples, not averages, so measure yours.

Why can an electric shower cost more than a bath?

An electric shower uses less water than a bath, but it heats that water with electricity, which costs about 3.3 times as much per kWh as gas under the October 2026 cap (26.32p against 7.97p). A 9.5 kW electric shower costs about 4.2p a minute, so it reaches the cost of a gas-heated bath after roughly 6 minutes.

The comparison flips if your bath water comes from an electric immersion heater. Then a bath costs about 73p, and even a 15 minute electric shower at 9.5 kW (about 62.5p) is cheaper. If you have a heat pump, your hot water costs depend on its efficiency, and our heat pump running cost calculator can help you estimate them.

How much could you save by swapping baths for showers?

The Energy Saving Trust says swapping one bath a week for a four minute shower could save about £10 a year in Great Britain, and keeping every shower to four minutes could save about £45 a year. Both figures are from its quick tips to save energy, updated in October 2026.

If you have a water meter, using fewer litres also cuts your water and sewerage charges, which vary by water company. A shorter shower saves on both bills at once, while a bath has a fixed cost every time you fill it.

• Use a shower timer or a four minute song to keep track.
• Fit a water-efficient shower head on a mixer shower. The Energy Saving Trust says this can save a typical home around £65 a year on combined heating and water bills.
• Run a shallower bath if you prefer baths: 60 litres instead of 80 cuts the heat needed by a quarter.

Safety: Electric showers draw a large current and usually have their own circuit. Any change to the shower unit, its isolator switch or wiring must be done by a qualified electrician. Changes to a gas boiler or hot water cylinder controls inside the casing need a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Worked example: what does a daily shower habit cost?

Example: two adults each take an 8 minute shower a day with a 9.5 kW electric shower. In the electric shower cost calculator, enter 9.5 kW, 8 minutes per shower, 2 showers a day and the October 2026 cap rate of 26.32p per kWh.

• Energy per shower: 9.5 × 8 ÷ 60 = 1.27 kWh
• Cost per shower: 1.27 × 26.32p = 33.3p
• Cost per year for both: 33.3p × 2 × 365 = about £243

If they each cut to 5 minutes, the yearly cost falls to about £152, a saving of around £91. Switching to baths heated by their gas combi would cost about 24.7p each, or about £180 a year for two, so for this household a 5 minute electric shower beats a daily bath, but an 8 minute one does not. For a wider view of the home’s running costs, see the energy bill calculators.

Bath or Shower Which Is Cheaper FAQs

Checked October 2026. Sources: Ofgem: Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges, Energy Saving Trust: Quick tips to save energy, Energy Saving Trust: Saving water at home, Waterwise: Save water, Wikipedia: Specific heat capacity.