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If you’re not paying close attention, you could be spending way more on your water bill every month than you have to. While most of us don’t add up the dollars and cents while taking a long shower or doing the dishes by hand, little things can add up fast on your water bill.
The good news: with a conscious effort and a bit of awareness, you can easily use less water in your day-to-day and cut down on your utility costs. So how do you do it? These 7 easy tips will help you use less water at home—which will directly translate into a lower monthly bill.
A leaky faucet that releases one drop of water per minute will drip about 2,142 times a day. A faucet dripping at this rate can waste the equivalent of 34 gallons of water per year. The more times it drips per minute, the more water you’re wasting every single day. And while it might seem inconsequential, each of those drips represents a tiny but measurable increase in your water bill. Fixing this is as easy as taking a quick lap around your home to check for any leaking fixtures and do repairs as needed. In most cases, these fixes you can accomplish without a plumber, and can be done using tools that you already have in your home.
A faucet aerator is that little metal piece found at the tip of your faucet, right where the water comes out. This small but substantial addition pushes air into the water stream to reduce the flow volume, providing you with a steady, forceful stream that splashes less and wastes less water. At about $5 each, aerators are a cheap home improvement you can make to lower your water bill.
While it might seem counter-intuitive, it’s actually way more efficient to use your dishwasher than wash dishes by hand when it comes to water usage. An average dishwasher uses six gallons of water per cycle.
Meanwhile, washing your dishes by hand can use up as much as 20 gallons of water every time you do it. Just one round of hand washing dishes accounts for three to five uses of your dishwasher, costing you pretty heavily on your monthly bill.
If you don’t have a dishwasher that doesn’t mean that you’re doomed to inefficient water usage for the sake of clean dishes. You can still save money by filling up the sink with hot soapy water instead of running the tap. This method uses only about four gallons of water, and your dishes will come out just as clean.
A conventional showerhead flows at a rate of about five gallons of water per minute. So, while a ten-minute shower might not seem like much, it actually translates to a huge percentage of your daily water usage. By cutting your shower down to five minutes you’ll slash that number by a significant percentage. You can also switch to a low-flow showerhead, which uses 2.5 gallons or less per minute.
Toilets are up there with washing machines and showers in terms of water use. While more energy efficient toilets are available for purchase, you can convert your existing toilets to operate at low flow instead of investing in a total overhaul. A low flow toilet uses about 1.6 gallons per flush, versus the seven gallons per flush a standard toilet uses. Retrofitting your toilet to operate more efficiently is a pretty easy home upgrade to take on, and doesn’t cost much by means of supplies.
Are you guilty of keeping the faucet running while you brush your teeth, scrub your hands, or wash your face? Habits like these are big drivers of water waste, sending water down the drain for no reason other than the convenience of not having to hit the handle. Make a resolution to ditch the habit and turn off the faucet any time it’s not in use. It might cost you an extra second on your morning or bedtime routine, but it’ll pay off by reducing your water bill.
Small savings on your water bill add up fast. Even shaving just $10 off your monthly bill will account for more than $100 in savings a year, and if you follow all of our tips above, you’re guaranteed to save a whole lot more than that!
Start with the tips that are easiest to implement, and work your way out from there. And don’t forget Super Terry will take on any job, big or small. So, if you ever find yourself wanting to make a change but need a professional’s guidance give us a call or fill out our contact form.
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