Water Wasters: Ways to Trim Your Water Bill
Posted By :Elena Difiore
Posted At : Monday, Mar 07, 2011
Here at Unlock Your Wealth we’re always looking for ways to save you money. From mortgage payments to credit cards, we all know how our monthly bills can seem overwhelming at times. That’s why we’ve come up with a few ways to cut down on one of our most common expenses–the water bill. Saving water is not only eco-friendly but wallet-friendly too!
Bathing
Love to take baths? An easy way to save a ton of water is to simply adjust your bathing habits. Skip the bath and opt for a shower instead. When kept to a reasonable time limit-try to stay under ten minutes-showers will use less water than baths. You can take your conservation efforts a step further by installing a low-flow showerhead. If you find that you absolutely can’t live without your bath time relaxation, try at least cutting back on the number of baths you take a week.
Cleaning
A great rule of thumb when it comes to water-using devices such as dishwashers and clothes washers is to never use the device unless it’s full. This tip should seem obvious, but sometimes we forget to follow it or simply ignore it due to laziness. Abiding by this rule will save you even more money if you live with family members or roommates. By simply waiting and coordinating your laundry schedule with the people you live with, you’ll drastically cut down on the amount of loads you do a week and therefore save a ton of money on your water bill.
Runaway Water
We’re all guilty of leaving the water running from time to time. An action as simple as leaving the tap running while brushing your teeth can waste gallons of water a week. One of the most common reasons for leaving the tap on is to let the water either heat-up or cool-down. Instead of waiting for the water to adjust on its own, why not take some extra steps and do it yourself? If you prefer to drink cold water, fill up some water bottles or containers and put them in the fridge ahead of time. This will not only save water but it will also save you the time of sitting at the faucet while you run the water and wait for it to cool. On the other hand, if it’s hot water you’re after, then try heating the water in the microwave or on the stove.
Landscaping
Obviously, the ideal option here would be to have desert-type landscaping with rocks instead of grass and low maintenance plants that don’t require much water. However, sometimes we can’t always choose the yards we have and we have to make due with what we’ve got. That being said, just because you have grass or an abundance of plants in your yard doesn’t mean you have to go overboard. You can keep your lush landscape by watering your grass early in the morning instead of later in the afternoon when water loss is increased due to evaporation. Also, you may be watering your lawn more frequently than necessary. Experts say a good way to tell if your lawn needs watering is to step on it. If the grass springs back up, you don’t need to water it. If it lies flat, then your lawn may need some hydrotherapy.
These are just a few of the ways you can cut back on your water usage. Practice these simple steps to trim your monthly water bill while also doing a kind deed for the environment.
