Saving on your water bill can be as simple as changing your habits. While utility prices, climate conditions, and population growth are out of your control, your actions are not. There are many simple ways to reduce water consumption. Aside from recognizing sources of water leaks and having a professional fix them, here is what you can do to save:
Test for Toilet Leaks
Much of the water you use goes towards flushing the toilet. An internal leak can waste up to 100 gallons daily. It’s easy to miss such a leak, but you can detect it by dropping dye into the tank. If the water in the bowl turns the same color, then there’s a leak and the flapper or fill mechanism needs to be replaced. This test should be performed once a year.
Use the Dishwasher Instead of Washing Dishes by Hand
You may be used to washing by hand, but the dishwasher does the same thing with less water. An ENERGY-STAR rated dishwasher uses as little as 3 gallons per load. This pales to the 27 gallons you may use washing dishes yourself.1 There’s also no need to rinse each dish beforehand; just scrape any crumbs and food scraps away.
Take a Shower with a Bucket
Lots of water is wasted down the drain when you shower. Instead of letting the showerhead run, fill up a bucket and use that water to wash up. You might have water left over to water your plants afterward.
Go to a Car Wash
Washing your car yourself may give you a sense of fulfillment, but it is not efficient. Local car washes know how to conserve water. In fact, you could save 100 gallons by leaving the job to the professionals.
Update Your Appliances or Fixtures
Although this is an investment upfront, installing efficient clothes washers, showerheads, toilets, and faucets can save you in the long run. Look for those with a WaterSense or ENERGY STAR label. Plus, you might save with rebates or other incentives from your local utility company.
Install a Faucet Aerator
Adding an aerator to each faucet can save you hundreds of gallons of water annually. And it only costs a few dollars to purchase and install. The disc-like device screws onto the faucet and mixes air with water that exits the faucet. The width of the flow is narrowed as well, so you still get plenty of water but use much less of it. Choose an aerator with a 1 to 1.5 gpm flow rate for the best efficiency in the kitchen and a .5 to 1 gpm unit for bathroom faucets.2
Outside Your Home
These life hacks outside your home can help cut down your water bill:
- Keep your pool covered to prevent evaporation (which can waste up to 20,000 gallons per year).
- Install an automatic shut-off nozzle to your garden hose, which can save 5 GPM of water.
- Don’t water your lawn during peak periods and use rain sensors to make irrigation systems more efficient.
- Plant native grasses, bushes, and flowers accustomed to local rainfall, and that don’t require watering.
- Use a rain barrel, so you have a natural source of water for your plants.
Contact Sky Heating, AC, Plumbing & Electrical
Monitoring water usage and checking for leaks around your home monthly can also help save on your water bill. If you believe there’s a problem, we specialize in leak detection and can quickly diagnose and fix any plumbing issue. Get in touch online or call us at 541-275-2918 to request a service call.
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