If there's one thing we know about here at DealsPlus, it's saving money. But we're not just about saving money when shopping and food - we love to save whenever and wherever we can on anything. In this post, we're gonna share some ways to lower the cost of your water bill. Even if it may not be a big expense, it's still great to save whenever you can. Although some of these tips may require you to pay more upfront, you'll end up saving more in the long run. Check them out!
When it comes to home maintenance and repairs, our favorite stops are The Home Depot, Lowe's, and Sears. Check out their store pages to see what sales, coupons, and more you can find.
Source: Today
It actually requires more water to wash your dishes by hand than it takes to wash them in the dishwasher, believe it or not. Moreover, don't rinse your dishes before placing them in the dishwasher. Just scrape off the food and let the dishwasher finish the job.
Regardless if you have one plate or a whole table setting in the dishwasher, it will use the same amount of water. To conserve water, make sure you have a full load. When starting a new load, choose shorter wash cycles and activate the booster heat if your dishwasher is equipped with one.
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Baths obviously require a bathtub full of water. Instead, take short showers with warm water - not hot water because a long, hot shower actually may use more water than a bath! At the end of the day, the water conservation level here determines on you and your family's habits.
Some shower heads will automatically pause a running shower once it gets warm, and others are low-flow shower heads that will save water. Low-flow faucet aerators can also reduce the water flow without sacrificing water pressure. Some newer faucets may have one already built in.
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At this temperature, you can still have hot water but your bill won't be as high. For every 10° F you reduce the temperature, you can save between 3% to 5% on your water heating costs. Click here to learn more about reducing hot water.
Most of us are guilty of this. Letting the water run while you brush your teeth, rinsing vegetables, washing the dishes, or in the shower - it's a bad habit that is definitely costing you. For example, instead of letting the water run while you shave, fill the sink with a few inches of warm water and rinse your razor there. It all adds up in the end so turn it off!
Source: Help Me Clean
Using cold water for your laundry has a couple benefits. It saves you money because the water doesn't have to get heated up, and you'll avoid having your colors bleed when the water is icy cold. Even better, wear clothes like pants and outerwear that don't get dirty quickly more than once so you wash less.
According to Energy.gov, a leak of one drip per second can cost $1 per month. If the leak is coming from somewhere larger, you're probably losing more money. It may not seem like a lot, but it's still money that's going down the drain and more importantly, that is clean water going to waste. Make sure you contact the company for a free audit, and someone will come out to let you know if there are any leaks and where. If you can't get a hold of a company or would rather check yourself, check out these tips for leak detection.
Source: Home Repair - About.com
A Tank Bank will help you reduce water waste; about 0.8 gallons per flush, which can lead to savings of $35 a year on your water bill. You can buy a set of 3 Tank Bank pouches for only $12.99 from Amazon. All you have to do is fill the pouch with water and hang it on the inside of the toilet tank wall.
You can also DIY Tank Banks, and the easiest method is placing one or two bricks at the bottom of the toilet tank. Another way is to fill two plastic bottles with one to two inches of sand or pebbles and water, then drop them into the toilet tank safely away from the operating parts of the toilet. However, make sure there are still at least 3 gallons of water left in the tank to ensure proper flushing.
Use pre-slit foam pipes to serve as insulation for your water pipes. It’s easy and inexpensive, and you’ll actually get hot water faster. With this method, you can also avoid running water while you wait for it to heat up. Check out Earth Easy for an easy step-by-step tutorial.
Source: Soma Water
Instead of letting the water run until it gets cold, fill up a cup of water or a water bottle and just leave it in the fridge for when you want cold water. Another option is to drop a couple ice cubes into your cup of tap water. Check out the Soma Carafe for an easy, stylish option.
For the same reasoning as above, heat tap water on the stove instead of letting it run until it gets hot. If you need hot water regularly, consider installing a point-of-use hot water heater for $200. It’ll instantly give you hot water as soon as you turn on the tap.
Source: Kohler
An outdated, bad toilet can be robbing you of your money every year, over $110 according to the EPA. Dual-flush toilets are popular in Europe and have two buttons or handles that flush different levels of water. This is an easy way to conserve water when you're flushing less than necessary (or in the best case, let yellow mellow - as in don't flush). A Kohler dual-flush toilet costs $185, but if that's out of your budget, consider implementing this option yourself with a conversion kit from Amazon for only $14.95.
Using the disposal requires water, whereas composting food waste or simply tossing it in the trash doesn't require water at all.
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If you like to keep your plants watered, don't turn on the hose or fill up your watering can with water from the sink. Attach rain barrels or leave buckets at the end of your rain gutter to collect rainwater for you rplants. You can even use this water to wash your car.
