How to Save Money on Your Water Bill
You spend a lot of money for various household concerns, and you certainly don’t need your water bill to add up to those costs. If you think your water bill is too high, here are some tips to help you out.
In The Bathroom
Don’t use the bathtub. For most average bathtubs, you’ll need at least 35 gallons of water, but when you shower, you only use half that amount. Give up those long luxurious baths, and stick to short, five-minute showers instead.
Change your shower heads to low-flow types. These only use 2.5 gallons every minute. Switching to these can help lower your water bill up to 60%.
Repair leaky faucets. This also goes for leaky shower drains or bathtub faucets. You’ll be surprise at how much water is wasted because of those tiny drip-drops.
Get a faucet aerator. It screws on the faucet’s bottom, reducing water flow, but not water pressure. Check your faucet if it has one. If it’s a new model, it’s likely to have an aerator already.
When you’re shaving or brushing, turn off the faucet. This is a habit many people have. Keeping the water running while you’re doing these chores causes clean, unused water to go down the drain.
Toilets leaks should be repaired. Check if yours has one, by putting a dye tablet in the tank. If it seeps into the bowl, there’s a leak you should fix.
Change your toilet model. If you need to replace your model, find a new one that has a low-flow, and uses less water when flushing. You can also install an adjustable flapper, which can help save up to three gallons for every flush.
In The Kitchen
saving money
Use the dishwasher. Many people think washing dishes by hand lessens their water consumption. On the contrary, you use more with this method. If you have a dishwasher, use it. Remember to run it only when you’ve got a full or partially full load. Never overstuff it, though, or you’ll end up with unclean dishes that you’ll have to run again.
Always waiting for the tap water to become cold? Use and drink water from the fridge instead. You can also drop ice cubes to chill it. As for heating, just use the microwave or the stove.
Recycle unused water. Clean, leftover water in bottles or on the sink can be placed in your pet’s bowl, or used for watering plants.
Use an instant hot water system. If you always need to have hot water at home for drinks and dishwashing this will come in handy. Also called a point-of-use hot water heater, this can be installed under the sink, and will provide you with hot water as soon as you turn on the tap.
Don’t use the garbage disposal. This needs water to work, too. Instead, throw the leftovers in the trash or compost them.
In The Laundry
Use your clothes twice. Sometimes, clothes (such as pants and sweaters) don’t get too dirty, and can be worn again without washing. Use some of your clothes twice before washing them. You can hand-wash smaller pieces. When getting a washing machine model, find a high-efficiency kind, to cut energy costs and water usage.
Wash full loads. Washing on full loads help you save water, and also lessens tearing and wearing of your machine.
Outside The House
Use rainwater. You can harvest rainwater and use it for various tasks, such as watering plants or cleaning your car.
Opt for a soaker hose. This gives you precise control of where the water goes, and where it doesn’t.
A wading pool is better. If your kids love playing with the sprinkler during summer, let them use a wading pool instead. They can splash around, without continuously using flowing water.
Mulch your garden. This helps make sure your plants get all the benefit of rainwater. Also, pick drought resistant plants, so you’ll need to do less watering.
Only wash your car when it’s really dirty. Frequent car washes contributes to high water use and high bills.
Wasting water is like letting your money go down the drain. Remember these easy and simple tips so your water bill will be lower, and you’ll get to save more.