While your water may not be the most costly of your monthly expenses, saving money on your water bill can certainly make an impact. This summer, there are things that you can do to minimize your water usage, make your appliances more energy friendly and in general, make water regulation a priority so that you can see the savings right on your bill. Here are ten things to help you regulate your water this summer.
1. Lower Your Hot Water Temperature: Often, the temperature on your hot water heater is set higher than necessary for you to have the hot water that you need. You will know if this is the case because running the hot water by itself will be too hot to use for dish washing, bathing or washing your hands. Setting the temperature lower on your hot water thermostat can save you money this summer. You can usually get away with setting your hot water heater at about 120 degrees, which is somewhere between the medium and low settings on the thermostat. However, if you have an automatic dishwasher, you may need to set it higher.
2. Soft Water For The Inside, Hard Water For The Outside: Hard water should be used on things like watering your plants, and watering your lawn. Soft water is metered and this method can save you a great deal of money if you use a lot of this water for the lawn and other outdoor chores.
3. Use A Spray Nozzle On Your Hose: Having a hose that allows water to run freely, even for a few minutes, wastes a great deal of water. When you are washing your car for example, and you leave the hose running on the ground while answering the phone or doing other tasks, you can be letting gallons and gallons of water escape. Putting a spray nozzle that only allows water to flow when you need it can save some big bucks this summer.
4. Put Your Sprinklers on Timers: Using timed sprinkler nozzles so that you don’t waste water irrigating areas that have already been sufficiently watered will save money. Ideally, your sprinkler system should either consist of multiple sprinkler heads that are on a timer, or a moving sprinkler that will cover your entire lawn.
5. Separate Your Irrigation and Sewage Water: When you use city water to water your lawn, the sewage charge is also included, and that can be where it gets costly.
6. Use Low-Flow Devices: Installing low-flow shower heads, faucets and other places where water comes out can save a lot of money throughout the month. Low-flow devices don’t allow as much water to escape, but still allow a sufficient amount to complete the tasks you need to do such as showering or washing dishes. Low-flow devices are very inexpensive and can be purchased at any home improvement or hardware store.
7. Give Your Disposal a Break: Teach your family what goes down the garbage disposal and what goes in the trash. The harder the garbage disposal has to work to eliminate the waste that is fed to it, the more water is used. This is a very easy water regulation tip that can be implemented immediately.
8. Take Shorter Showers: On average, Americans take about ten minute showers, which could be easily shortened to half that time. Very often, teens and young adults take long baths or showers that waste a great deal of water. Setting a shower limit can save real money on water and if you find that you cannot enforce the shorter shower rule, you might consider a timer on your shower head that turns off after five minutes to remind the more careless family members.
9. Invest In A High Efficiency Water Heater: If your water heater is 10-15 years old, you may have leaks that could be costing you money and upgrading to a newer, more energy efficient water heater will save you much more than the initial investment over the long term. Sometimes upgrading to a more energy efficient water heater will include a rebate from the manufacturer or even government tax credits that will save you even more money.
10. Upgrade Your Appliances: Appliances that are Energy Star rated are more energy efficient. Consider replacing your washer with a front loading machine that is Energy Star rated. Front loading machines use less water than their top loading siblings and your investment will pay off in a very short time. If you want to go outside the range of water regulation and save money on energy in general, you might also consider replacing other appliances with more energy efficient ones as well.
For more information on ways to cut down on your water bill and any other plumbing questions you may have, contact our professionals today.