How To Save On Water Bills: Simple But Highly Effective Ways To Cut Your Spending By 50%

By John

The amount Americans pay for their household water varies up and down the country. It may range from $40 to $135 monthly. You can buy various gadgets and new appliances to help you achieve maximum economy, but there are several ways you can save water — and thereby money — right now using what you already have, by adopting new habits.

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Monitor, monitor, monitor

You should always monitor the water component of your utility bill for excessive usage. If you find that there is waste, it could indicate a leakage in your system which you should have investigated immediately, not only to plug the leak but also to prevent damage to your property.

Now to change those wasteful habits….

Did you know that around nearly three-fourths of a household’s water usage occurs in the bathroom?

• Showering accounts for over a third of water usage
• Cut a few seconds off your normal shower time
• If you have an adjustable shower head, turn it to fine spray
• If you want a long soak, use the tub
• Shower young children together
• Turn the water off when you are lathering and shampooing (isn’t that so easy)
• Turn the water off when you are brushing your teeth, shaving and scrubbing your hands
• Fix dripping faucets at once – you can do it yourself
• Flushing the toilet accounts for over over 39% of water use
• Don’t use the toilet to flush away other waste or trash
• If you have a dual-flush toilet, make sure everyone in the family knows how, why and when to use a full or partial flush
• You can reduce the capacity of the water tank in older models of toilet by putting one or more plastic bottles filled with pebbles and water at the bottom. Experiment until you find the amount of water necessary to do the job (about three gallons)

 Did you know that around 10% of a household’s water usage occurs in the kitchen?

• Don’t use running water to rinse dishes — use a bowl until you reach the final rinse
• Don’t use running water to rinse fruit and vegetables — use a bowl until you reach the final rinse
• Don’t use running water to defrost frozen food — use the refrigerator
• The dishwasher is most economical with water on a full load
• The clothes washing machine is most economical with water on a full load (and a front-loader is generally more economical than a top-loader)

How about the yard?

• Use a broom, not water to clean the sidewalk
• Wash the car using a bucket of water and not a hose — this can save over ninety five gallons or more of water each time you wash the car
• If you want to absolutely splurge, go to a car wash … five bucks
• Use hose taps on the nozzles of hoses

And, finally, the garden

• Collect rainwater and use it for watering plants
• Minimize the use of recreational water toys
• Use the sprinkler on your grass early in the morning or in the evening to minimize evaporation under the sun
• Use the sprinkler on your lawn only when it is needed. If the soil at a depth of 1-2 inches is still moist, sprinkling is not necessary
• Don’t over-sprinkle

Of course there are many other steps you can take to save water, and as stated before you can invest in equipment to help you do it. However following these basic tips is easy and could save you hundreds of dollars a year.

Click here to compare offers and save hundreds of dollars every month. Why pay more? We have hundreds of offers on various items from credit cards to cell phones.