Everyone wants to save on the amount of water they use. Yet, in this environmentally conscious age, there are still a surprising number of water-wasting activities many of us participate in that unknowingly impact our utility bill. For the sake of your wallet and the planet, we at CW Service Pros have put together this list of tips on how to save on water bills.
1. Install Low-Flush or Dual-Flush Toilets
Toilet flushing accounts for nearly 30% of all indoor water use in the home. And older, less efficient toilets can use as many as six gallons of water every single flush! If you’re looking for ideas on how to reduce water bills, a toilet upgrade is a good option.
The current federal standard for new toilets is 1.6 gallons per flush, and there are even models that use as few as 1.28 gallons per flush. Upgrading your toilets to low-flush units can lower your water bills by a significant amount.
An alternative option is the dual-flush toilet. This toilet type has two flush modes and is equipped with two different flush buttons. This means you can choose which kind of flush to activate, letting you avoid water waste. When you only need a little flush power, you hit the low-flush mode. When you need a more powerful flush, use the full-flush button. Easy!
When choosing new toilets, the EPA recommends WaterSense models. These models have been tested both for water use and the ability to clear waste. Plus, they are more efficient than older, low-flow toilet models. Plus, they reduce water used in flushing by up to 60%. In a family home, that means a potential saving of up to 13,000 gallons of water and $140 every year!
2. Use Your Dishwasher Wisely
Running your dishwasher, even an older model, is more water-efficient than doing dishes by hand. Don’t let the size of the dishwasher fool you: Unlike a washing machine, the dishwasher does not fill up with water. Many new dishwashers even have an energy efficient or speed cycle that saves additional water and energy. Don’t pre-rinse your dishes or run the dishwasher when it isn’t completely full, and you’ll increase the savings on your water bill even more.
3. Be Smart with Laundry
Waiting to run only full loads of laundry is a smart, water-saving move. This is typically more efficient even if your washer has a small-load setting.
Another way to save water is to avoid additional rinse cycles. If you find that your laundry has detergent residue on it, try cutting back on the amount of detergent you use instead of adding an extra rinse cycle. That way, you’ll save both water and detergent.
Pro tip: Looking for genius-level laundry tips? Consider adding the Aerus® Laundry Pro 2.0 to your washing machine to save water and detergent! This technology is powered by ActivePure®, originally created as an air-filtering system that was used in space. ActivePure is so advanced, it has an award from the Certified Space Technology seal by the Space Foundation.
ActivePure removes up to 99% of common contaminants from the air, including:
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Molds
When ActivePure technology is applied to your laundry, it infuses cold water with powerful oxidizers that lift dirt and grime out of clothes, towels, and linens, leaving every item bright, clean, and sweet-smelling. There’s no need to use the hot water cycle and no laundry chemicals needed either!
Laundry Pro 2.0 is easy to install, and it’s soft on fabric and on skin. Once it’s installed, with the exception of the occasional stain remover, you’ll never need to use laundry chemicals again. And because there’s no need to use laundry chemicals or hot water, you’ll have cleaner, softer clothes and save money with every load.
4. Go with the Low-Flow to Save on Water Bills
For most showers, an enormous amount of water is used to get a high pressure out of the showerhead. Low-flow showerheads, by contrast, reduce wasted water without draining your wallet. Easy to install, newer showerheads have adapted to provide the same pressure as regular showerheads, so there’s no reason not to switch. While standard showerheads use 2.5 gallons of water per minute, WaterSense showerheads use a maximum of 2 gallons per minute.
Another way to save water in the bathroom is by installing WaterSense-labeled faucets. These faucets meet EPA criteria for water efficiency. A WaterSense faucet can reduce the amount of water used by up to 30% without compromising on performance.
Alternatively, you can install a flow-restricting faucet aerator. This device screws onto any faucet and works by adding air to the water as it comes out. This effectively reduces the water flow rate, as well as splashing.
5. Cut Out Unnecessary Water Usage
When thinking about how to lower your utility bills, there’s one obvious option that doesn’t have anything to do with replacing appliances or installing gadgets. It’s just about changing your water habits and making a conscious effort to use less water which will save money.
Some things we do out of habit, like wash our cars and water our lawns, but often those things are unnecessary. Keeping a lawn green in North Texas can require a huge amount of water. You might be better off planting a drought-friendly yard. Check out our tips for that here.
6. Use a Rain Sensor for Plants
Even if you don’t water your lawn, most gardeners stand by the necessity of watering plants like vegetables and flowers. If you use a sprinkler system on a timer, there’s good news: A rain sensor will automatically detect if it’s raining and prevent your system from turning on. By installing a rain sensor, you never need to worry about overwatering or wasting money on extra water,ultimately saving on water bills.
7. Consider a Yard Makeover
All plants need water, but some need more than others. Lawns are one of the worst “offenders” when it comes to water usage. Even when water restrictions aren’t in place, it’s tough to keep grass looking fresh and green in North Texas. Why not try something different?
You could consider a landscaping practice such as Xeriscaping. This practice is all about conserving water by making choices about what you plant and how you maintain the landscape.
For instance, a common practice in xeriscaping is to convert lawn into native plantings. In North Texas that can mean plants such as:
- Dwarf palmetto
- Lemon beebalm
- Crossvine
- Purple coneflower
Aside from reducing your water usage, you’ll also find that planting lots of natives encourages birds and bees to visit!
If you want to maintain a lawn without so much water, another option is to switch to a grass variety like Buffalo grass, which grows best in dry climates, is heat-tolerant, and has some tolerance to cold too.
Another way to reduce your lawn’s water needs is to adjust your lawnmower to cut your lawn slightly longer. Adding as little as 1.5 to 1 inch of length to your grass helps it retain more moisture, which means it can get by with less frequent watering and save on the water bills.
There’s always the ultimate water-saving lawn fix: Replace your grass with synthetic turf. This option means you’ll never need to water the lawn again! You can also say goodbye to chores such as aeration, applying pesticides and fertilizers, and the other time-consuming tasks you perform to maintain your lawn. These days, there are many more options for artificial turf than just plastics. Modern artificial turfs look more real, they’re more durable, and they’re softer to the touch as well.
8. Don’t Overlook Leaks to Save on Water Bills
A dripping tap or running toilet can waste gallons of water every day, and every gallon wasted means a few more cents down the drain. Don’t ignore even small leaks because the waste adds up! And eventually those small leaks become big ones, which may result in costly water damage. It’s always best to have any leak investigated and fixed right away, both to prevent water waste and to prevent potential water damage.
Saving Water Means Saving Money Too
Using less water is a good way to support the environment, and it’s great for your wallet too. By consciously looking for ideas on how to reduce your water bill, you can use less water, waste less water, and enjoy the benefits of lower utility bills!
