Every year when the weather heats up and water usage drastically increases, it’s important to know how to reduce your water bill to avoid the steep increases in costs you’re likely to face. In fact, water bills can sometimes account for nearly 50% of our monthly utility fees during the summer season. While part of this surge is certainly caused by more frequent lawn and pool care, other sources can include faulty appliances or leaking fixtures. Since proper water conservation is good for both your pocket and the environment, here are some easy ways to ensure your leaks are plugged and your water usage is drastically reduced.
Check out these 10 easy ways to save water, especially in the summer, and never feel nervous to open your utility bill again.
Replace/Repair Leaky Faucet
Did you know a leaky faucet can waste up to 3,000 gallons of water in a year? If your kitchen or bathroom faucet is showing any indication of leaking, it’s time to replace or fix the faucet to ensure optimal usage levels. Sometimes replacing a faucet cartridge can stop the leak entirely.
Low Flow is the Way to Go
Speaking of replacing faucets, why not install a low flow faucet and showerhead to reduce water usage? Whether it’s a Delta low flow shower head with a pause feature, or the Hansgrohe low flow kitchen faucet, you can find dazzling features that significantly reduce water usage and still look perfect in your space.
Touch Technology on Faucets
With options like a Brizo touch faucet or any Delta touch faucet, companies are now utilizing touch technology on residential faucets to help save on water usage. Not only do these products save water by shutting off automatically after 4 minutes, but they encourage you to turn the water off when cooking or cleaning more often, as you don’t have to keep grabbing the handle with dirty hands.
Replace Water Heater
Consider replacing an outdated water heater with a new, more energy-efficient option, like a Noritz tankless water heater. A Noritz tankless water heater will help you reduce both energy and water consumption by heating up water only when you need it, eliminating the need to continually heat and flush water out of your standard tank heater.
Turn Off Water While Brushing Teeth
A staple for anyone trying to make a quick change to your water usage habits, this action alone can save you nearly 3 gallons of water each time you brush your teeth.
Use a Dishwasher
Aside from the tedium of washing dishes by hand, hand washing dishes also uses far more water than a standard dishwasher. While the initial purchase of a brand new dishwasher is often hefty, the money and time saved in the long run makes it all worth it.
Take Shorter Showers
Everyone loves a relaxing shower or bath, but cutting down on time spent inside can help you save. Consider adding a steam system to your next bathroom project to give you more time to relax while using much less water.
Install a Dual-Flush Toilet
You may have recently seen an increase in public toilets with two flush options. Now, residential homes can share the same benefits, like with the TOTO Aquia IV 1.28 GPF Toilet, or the 0.8 GPF Toilet.
Manage Laundry Loads Better
You can save a lot on water and energy usage by converting to a high efficiency washing machine that better utilizes consumption with every load. Like your current machine? While not going overboard, making larger-sized loads per wash can save extra water that needs to be used whenever you start another batch.
Install an Anti-Leak Valve Kit
Some products like the leak Smart Sensor System can easily help you detect leaks the moment they happen, whether it’s in a basement, crawl space, attic, or other areas prone to flooding. These systems use automatic shut-off technology to halt any leak or flood way before it causes detrimental consequences. With flow detection, you can also get great information about your home water usage to help determine if you have a leak you haven’t noticed yet.
Have you learned how to reduce your water bill? Discover energy and water saving items and more from Plumbing-Deals.com, your leading source for the absolute best kitchen & bathroom products available.