A SWIMMING pool is lowering water temperatures and has asked swimmers to shower faster to save money on electricity bills.

Arun District Council confirmed the water temperature at Littlehampton Wave has been reduced to save money amid rising energy costs.

A pensioner who lives locally said she noticed the temperature had dropped when she went for her morning swim.

She said: “I noticed a slight drop in the temperature but nothing significant.

“I support it because we are trying to save money at home by doing the same kinds of things.

“We don’t want to lose our facilities, so if they can save money this way, I support it.”

Another dad who took his daughter for a swim said he had noticed the water was a bit chilly.

Not-for-profit trust Freedom Leisure, which is contracted by Arun District Council to run four leisure facilities in the area - including Littlehampton Wave, has also asked swimmers to take shorter showers in order to save energy and cut costs.

A council spokesman said: “Freedom Leisure are seeing their energy bills rising by many millions of pounds and have had to make small operational changes to reduce the use of energy and lessen its impact on the environment.”

It comes after Freedom Leisure told councillors in Brighton and Hove that it was cutting opening hours at its sites in the city as it faces costs soaring to more than £1 million in the next year.

Planned changes would result in the later opening and earlier closing of leisure centres in the city, with some residents complaining that it will affect their use of the services.

A briefing sent to councillors explained that “leisure centre users in Brighton and Hove will be impacted if centres are not able to afford to operate as contracted”.

While some centres will only be affected by half an hour on weekdays by the proposed changes to opening hours, others would have their weekend services slashed by as much as three hours.

Freedom Leisure has been approached for comment.