How to Cut Your Water Bills This Summer
It’s summer, which means that many homeowners are paying higher-than-average utility bills—spending more money on air conditioning, and also more money on watering their lawn and garden. That doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of opportunities to save, however, and in fact there are several in-home water conservation tips that can save you significant money on this summer’s utility bills.
Start in the Bathroom
For most homeowners, the bathroom accounts for roughly 75 percent of all indoor water use, making it a great room to start in as you look for opportunities to conserve. Of course, some basic plumbing maintenance can make a world of difference here. Take the time to visit each bathroom in your home and check the toilets and faucets for leaks. Even the slowest, most trivial leak can cause you to lose water by the gallons, if not by the hundreds of gallons—every single day.
There are a few other ways in which you can conserve water in the bathroom, some of them simple and some a little more involved. Certainly, the installation of low-flow showerheads is both easy and effective; simply cutting your shower times also works, though that’s a big sacrifice! If you’re eying a bathroom remodel any time soon, you can save money in the long run by springing for efficient, modern toilets.
Moving to the Kitchen
There are also a few things you can do to save water in the kitchen—a room that accounts for somewhere between 8 and 10 percent of your home water use:
Load the dishwasher without rinsing the dishes first.
To maximize dishwasher efficiency, only run full loads.
Think about installing a low-flow aerator or a water-saving dishwasher; contact one of our plumbers for more information about either of these products.
Other Ways to Save Water
There are still other ways you can cut back on water use—including a few things you can do in the laundry room. Really, for many homeowners, simply making an effort to run only full loads in the washing machine can reduce your water bills. We would also recommend insulating any exposed pipe to reduce the amount of heat lost as hot water is transferred.
