It’s no secret that summer is the time for higher temperatures and higher utility bills. As if the heat isn’t bad enough, high bills are a sure way to bring the excitement of summer down. But don’t think your electric bill is the only one to worry about.
As the summer gets hotter, the electricity bill isn’t the only thing eating at your pockets. Your water bill can get just as high. Is your water bill weighing you down?
Luckily, there are ways to save. Not sure how to reduce water bill prices? For the best tips for reducing your water bill, continue reading below!
Check For Toilet and Other Leaks
The first thing you’ll want to do is to check your home for any leaks. This means the toilets, faucets, and any other place where a leak could form. A toilet is one of the biggest users of water in a home.
To check your toilet for leaks, take red food coloring and place a couple of drops inside the tank. Just because a toilet seems to be working properly, doesn’t mean that a leak isn’t present. Wait a couple of minutes after adding the drops and lift the seat up to see if the water in the bowl is tinted pink.
If it is, it might be time to replace the flapper in the tank. Another trick for finding leaks is to check your water meter when everyone is leaving the house. When you arrive home, check the number again and see if it has gone up.
If it has, there’s a leak to find. At the very least, take the time to check all faucets in the house or any dripping water. Even the smallest drips can add up over time so it’s best to fix any leak big or small.
Check Your Sprinklers
Now you’ll need to head outside and check your sprinklers. Ensure that your sprinklers and garden hose are all working properly. Malfunctioning sprinklers can waste tons of water.
And a malfunctioning garden hose can do just the same. Not only should you ensure that the garden hose it shut off all the way after using it, but you should also check that once shutting it off, the water stops dripping. If it doesn’t shut all the way off properly, your garden hose could be the reason for a spike in your water bill.
Landscape With Gravel
While outside, take a moment to consider redoing your landscape with gravel. Gravel around plants and bushes is aesthetically pleasing but also saves you on water costs. When watering your yard, dirt and soil exposed to the sun will dry out quickly, especially during the summer.
Placing gravel down around your plants helps keep the moisture in the dirt and soil below. Once you add gravel into your landscaping, you might begin to notice that you can cut your watering down quite a bit.
Never Let the Water Run
Remember that fun song we used to sing as kids? The song told us to never let the water run! Although we might not have understood why as children, we now know exactly why.
Letting the water run not only wastes water, but it wastes money as well. While brushing your teeth or doing anything else near the sink, don’t let the water run unless you’re using it. If you need to wet your toothbrush before brushing, it’s fine to do so.
Just turn the water off while brushing and then back on again when you’re ready to spit and rinse your toothbrush off.
Time Your Showers
Although cold showers are ideal during the hot summer months, be sure not to stand under the comfortable waters for too long. Consider using a timer and setting it for each time you hop in the shower. This is the best way to ensure you don’t lose track of time while showering off.
This is also a great trick for families with younger and older children alike. Reduce your shower time to just 10 minutes or quicker and you’ll see a large decrease in your water bill. You can also purchase showerheads specifically designed to save water.
Use Your Dishwasher: Yes, We Said Use
This might come as a surprise to some people, but using your dishwasher actually saves more water than if you were to wash the dishes by hand. Doing one load of dishes in your dishwasher is much more efficient than washing that same number of dishes by hand.
This is even truer for those who have an energy savings brand of dishwasher. So the next time you contemplate washing those dishes, set them in your dishwasher instead and wait until there’s a full load to run it.
Install an Energy-Efficient Water Heater
The last way that you can save on your water bill is to install an energy-efficient water heater. Newer water heaters can reduce the percentage of money spent on heating your water. Some options include a solar-powered heater if you live in an area that receives a lot of sunshine or a tankless heater, which only heats as needed.
Whatever you decide, if your water heater is free of leaks or is a new water heater, you’ll begin to save.
Do You Know How to Reduce Water Bill Costs in Your Home?
Are you still not sure if you know how to reduce water bill costs in your home? Follow these tips listed above, and you’ll begin to see your water bill significantly reduce in price.
And to ensure that all your plumbing is working properly, contact us today!
If there are any leaks or repairs needed, we’ll be able to get all your plumbing in proper working order, reducing the cost of your water bill.