Americans use water like the stuff is free, but unfortunately it’s not. Some sizable chunk of the average person’s water bill contains a lot of wasted water. Follow these tips to save dozens or even hundreds of gallons of water per month and put a few dollars back in your pocket:
- Use a dishwasher. You actually use more water washing dishes by hand.
- Only run your dishwasher when it’s full.
- Don’t run the tap waiting for water to become hot, just put in the microwave for a few seconds instead.
- Don’t run the tap waiting for water to become cold, just use ice or put it in the refrigerator.
- Switch to a low-flow shower-head that dispenses around 2.5 gallons per minute, about half that of outdated shower-heads. You can cut your water bill drastically by doing this.
- Take shorter showers. Be efficient about your time in the shower to get in and out as quickly as possible.
- Don’t turn water on full blast. Just try doing typical tasks by only using a small stream of water. You might surprise yourself at how easy it is without slowing you down.
- Run water only when you need it while brushing your teeth.
- Make sure your faucets aren’t leaking. Even a little drip can waste hundreds of gallons a year.
- Keep your toilet well-maintained. Replacing your flapper can save hundreds a year on lost water.
- A trick to get your toilet to use less water is to put a sealed bottled of water in the tank. The bottle will displace water and cause your toilet to use less (a liter bottle will cut your toilet’s capacity by a liter).
- Shop for a low-flow toilet.
- Wash only full loads of clothes.
- Wear outer garments more than once in between washes.
- Capture greywater. You can use unused drinking water, water dispensed while waiting for your shower to heat up, etc to water your plants or wash your car.
- Capture rainwater. The rainwater that comes out of your gutter spouts can be used to water plants and wash vehicles.
As you can see, using less water usually only takes a little creativity and due diligence. By following these practices, you can cut your water bill in half, or more!