Save On Your Average Water Bill

Saving money on your average water bill does more than help reduce utility costs but also goes a long way towards benefiting the environment. There are a number of tips and tricks which can be used to reduce water usage for individuals and the household overall. The following steps are a good start which are easy to implement and can result in immediate savings.

Shower Heads

A lot of consumers don't think about the shower heads used in their bathrooms but this is an important step to reducing water usage. Many hardware supply stores will carry low pressure or low volume shower heads which offer a similar cleaning effect while reducing the number of gallons used. Another technique is to temporarily turn off the water after getting wet to provide an opportunity scrub yourself down and then turn the water back on to rinse off. Many water saving shower heads incorporate a shutoff feature into their design.

Toilets

Due to the need to conserve water especially dryer areas many municipalities have updated building codes to require the use of low flow toilets. These types of toilets often use half the number of gallons of more than traditional toilets and can result in significant water savings. If you have an older toilet a common technique is to place 2 to 3 bricks in the tank to displace the amount of water used during a flush cycle. It is recommended to add one brick at a time as reducing the amount of water may negatively affect the toilet's proper functionality.

Washing Dishes and Laundry

Washing machines for laundry and dish washing machines for plates and silverware use significant amounts of water to clean properly. The best suggestion for these appliances is to maximize the amount of items in a load. Running multiple small loads will use not only more water but also more electricity. Of course, take care not to overfill as it may result in less effective cleaning resulting in the need to wash dishes or laundry again.

Running Water

Running water is the bane of any household as it is the easiest to stop but also waste the most amount of resources. In terms of usage, turn off the water while brushing your teeth or washing your car as it is unnecessary to have the water running without it currently being used. When leaving on the faucet or the hose, freshwater is running down the drain which could've been more effectively utilized if turned off temporarily. Many garden centers sell hose nozzles specifically to address the issue of wasting water by incorporating unique and specialized design features.

Lawn Care

While mainly a suggestion for individuals living in the Southwest, watering your plants or lawn in the evening is really applicable throughout the country. The best time to water landscaping is early in the morning or in the evening after the sun has set. This is due to two main reasons which are to limit the amount of evaporation from the heat of the day as well as to minimize "burning" of lawns. Watering at times of peak sunlight will result in significant evaporation but if more water is used it can also result in hot water damaging lawns and plants resulting in burning and wilting.

Conclusion

As you can see from the above suggestions there are numerous ideas on how you can save on your average water bill. There are many more ideas which have not been covered but are available online for those serious about lowering their utility costs and water usage. As you may have realized, very little actual effort is required to save money as it only means adjusting behaviors and changing when you use and how you use a valuable limited resource such as water.