7 Ways to Save Money on Your Water Bill

Being conservative with water is especially important in Utah’s desert climate. Water is a precious resource here, one we often take for granted. If you take a few steps to ensure your home is water-wise, there is an additional bonus. You can also save money on your water bill, doing yourself a financial favor. Don’t know where to start? Here are seven relatively easy methods.

Habits to Minimize Your Water Bill

Sometimes you can save money on your water bill simply by making a few adjustments in how you do things. You don’t have to cut baths out of your life or have all your clothes dry cleaned, but since the average person uses 80 to 100 gallons of water per day, there is surely some room for improvement. 

Wash Dishes and Laundry Efficiently

Dishwashers and washing machines are both incredibly helpful tools to free up valuable time. If they are used efficiently, they can also save you valuable money on your water bill. It is better to run these appliances when they are full, not so full that the dishes or clothes don’t get clean, but running one full load is more efficient than running two half-full loads. 

Don’t Let the Water Run

This hack to save money on your water bill is pretty obvious, yet it is probably the easiest to forget. Don’t let the faucet run when you brush your teeth, and be wise when warming up the shower. The inefficiency of running water makes using the dishwasher more energy efficient than washing dishes by hand. If you need to run the water, perhaps to let the water warm up, consider filling a bucket with that excess water to use to water your plants.

Wisely Water the Lawn

Speaking of plants, there are times when watering the lawn is wise and times when it is not. Watering the lawn in the heat of the day will only cause the water to evaporate before the grass can absorb it. Save your sprinkler settings for the morning or evening.

Fixes to Save Money on Your Water Bill

Some of the most effective ways to lower a water bill have to do with making your appliances more efficient. This does not always mean buying new appliances. Sometimes the ones you already have need a little TLC.

Fix Leaky Faucets

While the occasional drip from the faucet may not seem to be a big deal, leaky faucets can be a massive draw on your bank account. A steady drip each second wastes about 8.64 gallons per day, adding to approximately 259 gallons per month and 3,153 gallons per year. You can see how fixing one little leak can really help you save money on your water bill.

Make Sure Your Toilet Is Water-Efficient

The single largest use of household water is flushing the toilet. Installing a water-efficient toilet can minimize some of that expense. It is also important to check for any leaks. You can do so by adding a bit of food coloring to the toilet tank and leaving the unit alone overnight. If in the morning some of the color has leached into the bowl, you have a leak and should take steps to repair it.

Use Efficient Showerheads

Faucets and showerheads installed before 1992 can use more than twice as much water as newer models. While this shouldn’t be a problem in your Leisure Villas home, it is still important to check that your unit is as low-flow as it claims to be. Fill a gallon bucket with water from your showerhead, timing the process. If it takes less than 20 seconds to fill the bucket, consider installing a low-flow showerhead. Fixtures with a flow rate of less than 2.5 gpm can offer 25%–60% in water savings.

Invest in a Hybrid Hot Water Heater

This step to save money on your water bill is a bit of a cheat since it is more likely to reduce your energy bill, but every penny helps no matter where it is saved. Approximately 20% of home energy expenditure goes toward heating its water. A hot water heater can mitigate that cost with larger volumes of hot water heater with more energy efficiency.

Hybrid hot water heaters can be daunting because they have an imposing upfront cost, but in the long run they are much more cost-effective. If the sticker shock of a new water heater is glaring, you might choose to save up and wait until the water heater in your home is closer to the end of its life. 

As a side note, you can also cut back on your water-heating costs by adjusting water temperature at the source. If you use your water heater as a “master switch” to lower the temperature by just 10ºF, you can save roughly 3%–5% on your next water-heating bill.