Saving money is a priority for most individuals and families and one place that you can save money is in your usage of water.
Here are our 10 tips on how you can save money on your water bill
- Consider installing a tankless water heater.
- Low flow shower heads can save a good chunk of money.
- The newer low flow toilets use less than half the water of what older toilets do.
- Take shorter showers and less baths.
- Turn the faucet off when not in use.
- Use the washing machine when you have a full load.
- Use warm or cold water in the washing machine.
- Use the dishwasher when it’s fully loaded.
- Use a rain barrel to save water for your plants.
- Put your sprinklers on a timer.
When you combine all these tips together, you can end up saving quite a bit of money at the end of the year. Especially if you live in a home with several other occupants!
Tankless Water Heaters
Tankless units are a wonderful replacement for your water heater. You can save money in the long run so if you plan to stay in your home for 20 plus years, then this option will pay for itself. And because tankless units heat the water on demand, there’s no excess energy spent on heating water that’s waiting for you to use it making it energy efficient.
Low Flow Shower Heads
On average, a water saving shower head (aka low flow shower heads) uses 1.5 gpm (gallons per minute) compared to the 2.5 gpm that a standard shower head uses. The amount of money you save depends on how many showers are taken in your home and how long the showers are. Here in Atlanta’s Cobb county, that savings could translate to anywhere from $40.00 to $200.00 per year. A low flow shower head can reduce your water usage up to 60%.
Low Flow Toilets
Typically, an older toilet uses anywhere from 3.5 to 7 gallons of water per flush. The newer low flow toilets use anywhere from 1.28 to 1.6 gallons per flush. So, using the average cost per gallon of water here in Georgia (which is 0.010 per gallon) the cost per flush for older toilets is anywhere from about 3 cents to 7 cents per flush.
Another little tip we can share is to take a look at your toilet tank flapper. As plumbers, we often find that the homeowners have not maintained their flappers and as a result their toilet tanks are expending more water than they should. So, be pro-active and routinely change your flapper (you can also consider installing a water saving model)
Cutting Shower Time
Most of us love the luxury of long hot showers but they do come at a cost. To save money you can cut down the time you spend in the shower and you can use a Shower Timer (yep, it’s a real thing) to help keep you on track.
Turn That Faucet Off
Besides turning the faucet off when not in use (i.e. while brushing your teeth) you can also install an upgraded faucet that has a low flow fauce aerator. Most of the new models these days do. The low flow faucet aerator simply limits the flow of water even more without reducing the pressure. This of course, saves water and saves you money.
Better Use Of Washing Machine
One of the easiest ways to save money and water used up by a washing machine is to use warm or cold water to do the wash instead of hot water. Cold water will save you the most. You also want to wash full loads unless you have one of the newer washing machines that has a water sensor installed. Upgrading to the newest high efficiency models can also save you money in the long run.
Better Use Of Dishwasher
Upgrading to an energy efficient dishwasher is a great way to save money if your household uses the dishwasher every single day. Not only do they use less water but they should require less maintenance. You can also save money by running the dishwasher only when it’s fully loaded and also, if your machine has a soil sensor built in – you can avoid pre-rinsing your dishes.
According to ConsumerReports.org – “…if your dishwasher has a soil sensor, rinsing dishes can actually work against you because if the sensor detects that the load is fairly clean, the dishwasher will run a light wash, which can leave pieces of food stuck on bowls and plates.” Instead, just scrape as much as you can off the plate before putting it in the dishwasher.
Rain Barrels For Watering Plants
Install a rain barrel. Again, saving the water that is collected when it rains is another great way to water your potted plants, etc.
If you want to go that extra mile you can save your shower water too. Keep a bucket in the shower that will get filled up up as you shower. It’s a great way to re-use that water.
Outdoor Sprinklers
Upgrade your sprinkler heads. The newer models these days are much more efficient.
Why is my water bill so high?
Besides the obvious reasons of a high consumption of water in your household there are several other reasons why your water bill may be so high.
1. You have a slab leak which are more common than you may realize.
2. You have a pipe leak somewhere.
3. Your water meter has gone rogue (it’s rare but they can become faulty).
If you have any questions about saving money on your water bill, call Atlantis Plumbing today at 770-443-8229. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.