Prince Charles urges showers, not baths

LONDON, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Britain's Prince Charles, whose lifestyle includes estates, jet-setting and ocean cruises, says British families should go green by taking showers, not baths.

Among the 20 lifestyle changes the 61-year-old prince of Wales suggests Brits embrace to help protect the environment is to take "short, refreshing," 5-minute showers in lieu of baths, the Daily Mail reported Thursday. It's all part of his green campaign, Start, which began last month, the British newspaper said.

The prince's Web site reads: "Snub the tub. If everybody in a four-person family replaced one bath a week with a 5-minute shower, you could save between 5 pounds [$7.80] and 15 pounds [$23.45] per year off your energy bill."

Charles does the "vast majority of the things on the list," a spokesman for the British royal said.

"We must all strive, harder than ever before, to convince people that by living sustainably we will improve our quality of life and our health, and by valuing nature's resources properly, we will secure all our futures," the prince said.

On Sept 8, Charles will open to the public for the first time the gardens of his residences when he hosts "A Garden Party to Make a Difference," the Daily Mail said.

Last year, Charles cut by 4 percent the carbon emissions at his four households and upped the use of renewable energy to 22 percent, the newspaper said.