Households waste a considerable amount of water throughout all seasons of the year. And for those who are trying to manage a home with several occupants, it can be challenging to help your loved ones get a grip on their waste and share in your concern. At the end of the day, this comes at a cost for the one left with the water bill, but that ends today as this expense can be reduced using a few easy tips. Here are some tips for keeping water usage and your monthly payment low.
10 WAYS TO LOWER THE WATER BILL
1. Use the garbage disposal sparingly
In order to operate effectively, the garbage disposal requires a lot of water. Not only does it take more water to get chunky bits of food down the drain, but regardless of what you toss into the disposal, accumulation will occur over time. At some point, either you or your plumber will have to remove the debris. Instead, simply avoid using the garbage disposal when possible and either compost food or throw it away. This saves water, as well as the time and energy required to clean the disposal out or fix any problems that can be caused by operation over time.
2. Minimize water softener refills
Included in the water in our homes are other substances such as minerals that vary in concentration based on where you live and where your community gets their water from. This buildup can be hard on appliances but its presence can be reduced through the use of water softeners. At the same time, the chemicals in these softeners can be quite harmful to the environment and can cost you more as the process of softening takes place within the system. Thus, minimizing your refills will also help you save money on the cost of chemicals.
3. Establish a monthly water budget
Establishing a monthly water budget for your home is always an impactful savings tactic. First, analyze how much water your family members use and when they use it. The next challenge is setting a reasonable limit and sticking to it. Make sure your goals are achievable instead of setting lofty ones that cause you to be dismayed when you fail to reach them. As you meet or exceed your goals, be sure to reward your family members.
4. Check your water meter for leaks
The water meter measures water use within a home. On an annual basis, leaks in home plumbing account for households losing thousands of gallons. The meter is capable of detecting waste by determining usage that occurs after water has been turned off inside and outside of the home for testing. Concluding that there is indeed a leak is not always easy because someone in your family could just be using more than usual. Luckily, once you have a sense for your budget and how closely your family sticks to it, you’ll know how much water you use in an average month. If everyone’s is staying within their set usage limits, then you know a leak may be present somewhere.
5. Winterize outdoor spigots
In the winter, the outdoor faucets in our homes are subject to damage as the cold weather can make it difficult to keep them in working condition. To avoid this and save money, winterize your spigots by removing the various connections from your spigot and check to make sure there are no leaks. If there are any, be sure to fix them. From there, empty your pipes as much as possible and install insulation where you can to further protect your home. Following through on these steps will help you to prevent your pipes from freezing and bursting.
6. Soak pots and pans
Many people leave the sink running and when they try to manually remove food debris from dish ware. Try a more energy efficient method for cleaning out pots and pans by simply letting them soak before putting them in the dishwasher. This will break up the remnants left on plates and make them much easier to remove, and the waste avoided here will certainly help lower your bill and save money.
7. Fix leaks
Small dripping leaks can cause a loss of up to 140 gallons of water a week in your home. Leaks can occur in a number of places like pipes, faucets, toilets, and the dishwasher. Make sure you have a working knowledge of where the shut-off valve is located for your plumbing system should you need to quickly cut it off in order to address a leak. You should look for a leak when there is an increase in your bill that you cannot account for.
8. Match water level to the laundry load
Washing clothes has a large impact on your energy bill. To reduce the cost of laundry, first consider investing in energy efficient appliances. An Energy Star certified washing machine uses only as much water as is needed to clean your things. Relying on your washing machine to clean larger loads is also a method for reducing the amount of water that is consumed because it only causes an uptick in usage when the amount of dirty clothes justifies it.
9. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth
Many people leave the sink running when they brush their teeth. Though it only takes two minutes, leaving the sink running as you brush can waste up to 4 gallons a minute. Instead of keeping the faucet going, turn it on only to wet and clean your brush. Picking up this habit will help you easily save water and save money.
10. Shorter Showers
If you enjoy many long, high pressure showers a day, you may be costing yourself both in terms of water and the energy needed to warm it. To reduce that expense, cut the time you spend in the shower by a few minutes. The average amount of water used per minute is 2.1 gallons while the average shower time is 8.2 minutes. Simply cutting off 2 minutes from that can save 4 gallons. You can also enlist the aid of low-flow shower heads which reduce the flow of water during a shower and can help to minimize excessive usage.
Teach Your Household How To Reduce the Water Bill
These tips will help you feel better about your impact on how much you spend when you have to pay water bills, and make sure to share them with all members of your household. As you give each tip a try, find the ones that work for your household and that have the biggest impact on keeping the payment for water bill down. Now you can feel good about savings on your monthly bill as well as helping the environment as a responsible community member.
