Your comprehensive guide to saving money on your water bill
As the cost of living creeps up in Round Lake, IL, it is important for homeowners to always have a plan as to how they can cut back on expenses. The natural place to start is with preventative maintenance and with electricity, heat and water use.
In particular, if you are smart about your water consumption at home, you can reduce your bills substantially and keep them that way. Here is a quick guide on some of your best strategies to make those savings happen.
Favor a Shower Over a Bath
The EPA says that it requires 70 gallons of water to fill a bathtub. This is substantially more than it takes to have a 5-minute shower, which uses only between 10-25 minute gallons. That difference works out to more dollars in your wallet.
You need to take care to keep your showers short. 5 minutes is ideal. At the absolute maximum, don’t let your showers run over 10 minutes, or you’ll watch your savings go down the drain.
Check for Leaks
The average household wastes about 10,000 gallons a year because of plumbing leaks. A dripping faucet may not look like a big deal, but it will waste on average about 5 gallons a day. Wouldn’t you rather get it fixed and pocket the savings?
Adopt a monthly habit of inspecting all of your plumbing for leaks. Don’t forget the basement and outside. Look under cabinets, along walls and behind your washing machine and fridge.
Use Greywater to Maintain Your Plants
There is no need to turn the tap on or run the hose to keep your garden and plants lush and lovely. Instead, source water that you’ve already used. Greywater water that you’ve used for cooking or cleaning is ok to use on your plants.
To make it better for your plants, use cleaning products that are eco-friendly. Don’t apply it directly on the plants, but moisten the soil. Don’t store it for too long or it could get rancid.
If you are really committed, you can even configure your plumbing so that Greywater is harvested from your sinks and laundry.
Visit the Carwash Regularly
Just because you take pride in a clean car doesn’t mean that you need to have a huge water bill. Instead of washing your car at home and wasting all that water, take it to your neighborhood carwash, which is way more cost effective.
There are ample ways to save water and save money at home. You just need to know where to look.
