How To Save Money On Your Water Bill This Winter?
6 Ways to Save Money on Your Water Bill This Winter
Utility bills continue climbing, and water is something you must have for a host of functions around your home. However, it’s also the utility bill that’s not dependent on the weather outside and the one you have the most control over. Discover six ways you can easily reduce your water usage this winter.
1. Reduce Flushable Water
It’s estimated that about 30% of your water usage comes from flushing your toilet. Unfortunately, when you have to go, you have to go, and that means flushing the toilet when you’re done.
However, flushing technology has changed over the years and provided better ways to get rid of your waste. Ideally, you’ll replace your toilets with low-flow models, which use only 1.6 gallons per flush compared to the 3.5 gallons used in toilets designed in the early 1990s. That equates to over 50% savings per flush.
The other option is to reduce the amount of water your current toilet uses. Try taking a plastic water bottle and add some weight so that it sinks. When you put this in the toilet tank, it takes up room and causes the water volume to diminish while keeping the water level the same.
2. Improve Faucet Efficiency
Next, consider the faucets around your home, including those in your bathrooms, utility sink, and kitchen sink. This will reduce the amount of water used. When it comes to washing your hands and dishes or bathing, it can make a huge difference.
One way to improve efficiency is to replace your current faucets with WaterSense-certified models. However, if you want an easier option, try adding an aerator to each of your current faucets. This restricts the amount of water flowing out while introducing air into the stream. The aeration makes the water perform like a high-flow stream so that you won’t notice a difference while washing. However, it cuts down your actual water usage by up to about 30%.
3. Use Your Dishwasher
It may come as a surprise, but running your dishwasher uses less water than washing your dishes by hand. This is especially true if you have an ENERGY STAR dishwasher, which can save an estimated 5,000 gallons every year compared to washing by hand.
The caveat to using your dishwasher is waiting to run it until it’s full. Constantly running partial loads will cut into that savings, driving your water bill back up.
4. Improve Shower Habits
Along with flushing the toilet, taking showers accounts for a large amount of the water consumption in your home. According to Harvard, the average showerhead uses about 2.5 gallons per minute, with the average shower lasting about eight minutes. However, if you take a 15-minute shower, you can see how dramatically one shower can drive up your consumption.
The first thing you can do is shift your in-shower habits just a little bit. Consider turning the water off while you’re lathering up or using your conditioner. This not only cuts down on the water used but also helps make your soap and conditioner go further because you’re not washing it away as you apply it.
Next, consider swapping out your shower head for a water-efficient model. The EPA estimates the average household will save about $70 annually by using a WaterSense-approved shower head.
5. Avoid the Permanent Press Cycle in Your Washer
How you use your clothes washer can also make a substantial difference in your water consumption. The permanent press cycle has an additional rinse, which consumes about five gallons of additional water. If you’re finding you still have soap in your clothes, try using less laundry detergent rather than tacking on an additional rinse cycle.
6. Solve Leaks
Even small leaks can make a huge difference over the course of a day. A faucet that drips 10 times per minute will consume an additional gallon of water each day. This may not seem like a lot, but it does add up. Now, consider if your toilet flapper doesn’t seat properly and it continues to run all day while you’re at work. Whenever you use a water appliance, take the time to make sure it turns off fully before walking away. If something is leaking, don’t ignore it because it seems small. Instead, find the solution to make sure it turns off completely.
Since 2010, people around Nacogdoches have turned to our team at Nacogdoches Sheet Metal, Plumbing & Air Conditioning, LTD. to keep their home’s plumbing running properly. Our experts provide a full range of residential plumbing and water heater services along with the installation, maintenance, and repair of heating, cooling, and indoor air quality equipment. We also handle sheet metal fabrication. Call us today to schedule service or discuss ways to help reduce your water usage this winter.