Understanding Water Softener Efficiency — and Why It Matters
Dorset Water Softeners explains what really affects running costs
Customers often ask us, “How much does a water softener cost to run?”
The answer isn’t quite as simple as you might think — because it depends on a few important factors.
Before we can talk about running costs, we need to understand:
How hard is your local water?
How many people live in your home?
How efficient is your water softener?
⚙️ What Does “Efficiency” Actually Mean?
Not all water softeners are created equal. When we talk about efficiency, we mean how much salt, water, and electricitya softener uses to produce a set volume of softened water for your home or business.
Think of it as a kind of “energy rating” — but for softeners.
The more efficient your system, the less it wastes and the lower your running costs will be.
At Dorset Water Softeners, we’ve tested all the machines we sell — and plenty from our competitors too — so we can give you honest, evidence-based answers about what to expect.
💧 Measuring Real Efficiency
We don’t judge efficiency by how much water a softener uses per regeneration cycle — that’s largely irrelevant.
What matters is how many litres of water and kilograms of salt it takes to produce one cubic metre of softened water.
The key component inside a softener is its resin tank, filled with tiny resin beads that remove hardness minerals like calcium and magnesium. The effectiveness of this process depends on two main factors:
The hardness of your incoming water (in Dorset, it’s typically around 300 ppm)
The design of the softener itself — how well the resin bed and water distribution system are engineered
A well-designed softener can use almost all its resin capacity efficiently.
A poorly designed one wastes resin, salt, and water — driving up your running costs unnecessarily.
🧂 How Softening Works: Salt, Water, and Regeneration
To recharge the resin, a softener uses a process called regeneration, which involves:
A backwash, to clean the resin bed
A brine draw, pulling through a salt-water solution
A final rinse to prepare the softener for the next cycle
Manufacturers use different brine strengths.
A stronger brine recharges the resin more fully — but uses more salt.
A weaker brine uses less salt — but restores less resin capacity.
The best softeners strike a smart balance, giving you the same soft water with far less waste. Unfortunately, not all models achieve that.
⚡ What About Electricity Use?
Some softeners are non-electric, while others use a small control system to manage regeneration timing.
In our testing, almost all electric softeners cost between £4 and £5 per year to run — virtually nothing. Electricity simply tells the system when to regenerate, so the overall impact is negligible.
📊 The Difference in Real Running Costs
When we compared models, we found a 50% difference in efficiency between the most and least efficient softeners on the market.
Here’s what that looks like in real terms:
On one of our most efficient models, the average home uses about 25 kg of salt per person per year.
On a less efficient model, that figure can easily double — around 50 kg of salt per person per year.
That’s a big difference, especially for larger households or businesses.
Over the lifetime of your softener, efficiency directly affects your salt use, water waste, and environmental footprint.
🌍 Why Efficiency Matters Beyond Cost
Choosing an efficient softener isn’t just about saving money. It also:
Reduces the amount of salt and water discharged into drains
Minimises strain on cesspits or soakaways in rural properties
Lowers your environmental impact over time
And crucially, efficiency doesn’t compromise quality.
When we tested softeners side-by-side, our most efficient systems consistently delivered the softest, highest-quality water.
🏡 Choosing the Right System for You
At Dorset Water Softeners, we supply everything from simple non-electric softeners to highly efficient electronic systems.
There’s often very little difference in purchase cost — but potentially a big difference in running costs.
That’s why we believe it’s important to tell customers the truth about efficiency. Some designs simply haven’t improved in decades, while others now deliver industry-leading performance.
If you’re comparing options, we’ll help you understand exactly what each model will cost to run in your home, with your water hardness.
📞 Want to Know More?
If you’d like to find out which softener is the most efficient for your home or business, we’d love to help.
👉 Book a free home survey
We’ll test your water, explain your salt and water usage, and help you choose a system that saves money — and protects the environment.
Dorset Water Softeners — your local experts for softer, smarter water.
