Will There Be a Hosepipe Ban in 2027? How to Prepare This Winter

2026 has been one of the driest years in recent memory for much of England. At the start of September, ten water companies still had hosepipe bans in force, and Thames Water has said its ban will run into the autumn because rainfall from March to August was less than half of normal. So it's a fair question: will there be a hosepipe ban in 2027 as well?

What decides whether bans come back

Nobody can say yet, and anyone who tells you for certain is guessing. What matters most is how much rain falls this winter. Autumn and winter rain is what refills reservoirs, rivers and the underground water stores (groundwater) that many areas rely on. A wet winter can put things right. A dry one means companies go into spring with low reserves, and restrictions become much more likely, sometimes early in the season.

Your own water company is the place to check. Most publish their reservoir and groundwater levels and will say when a ban is lifted or likely.

Why this winter is the time to act

Here's the part most people miss: winter is when your roof sheds the most water. If you wait until a ban is announced next summer to buy water butts, you'll be setting up storage just as the rain stops. Put it in over the winter and it fills up for free, so you start the dry months with a full reserve.

And stored rainwater isn't covered by hosepipe bans, so whatever happens next year, it's water you can use freely. Our hosepipe ban guide explains the rules.

Five things to do before spring

1. Find out how much you're losing. Our roof rainwater calculator shows how many litres your roof sends down the drain each year. It's usually far more than people expect.
2. Plan more storage than you think you need. One 200-litre butt goes quickly in a hot spell. Several linked butts, or a tank, will carry the garden much further.
3. Put the storage where it's useful. Butts don't have to crowd the downpipe. RAINPOD fits onto your downpipe and fills as many butts or tanks as you like, anywhere in the garden, with a built-in overflow so they never overflow. You draw all the water from the pod's own taps.
4. Get the water to where you use it. A RAINTAP puts a rainwater tap by the greenhouse or veg patch, so the stored water actually gets used.
5. Look after it through the frost. Keep collecting all winter, but protect exposed taps and hoses in hard frosts. See our guide to water butts over winter.

Ways to save mains water next summer too

• Mulch borders in spring to keep moisture in the soil.
• Water in the early morning or evening, at the base of plants.
• Let the lawn go brown in a drought. It recovers when the rain returns.
• Group thirsty pots together and move them into light shade in heatwaves.

The short version

We can't tell you whether your area will have a ban in 2027. But we can tell you that the rain you need to beat one falls this winter. Set up your storage now, and you'll go into next summer with a full reserve, whatever the water company decides.

RAINPOD is currently being updated, with new gravity-fed and Turbo versions on the way. Join the waiting list to hear as soon as they're ready.