Water Conservation Tips that Can Lower Your Utility Bill

These are the five top areas of water usage in a home where you can cut back and save money on your bills

Check leaks

 It is estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency that some 9400 gallons of water are wasted each year just from residential home water leaks. It is easy to see that even a small leak can create a significant amount of water usage. The first place to make sure you are checking is all of your pipes to make sure that they are working properly and not using exorbitant amounts of water when nothing is on.

One great way to tell if water may be running when it is not in use is to check the water meter on the side of the home. Read it when there is no water in use and then come back in a couple of hours after nonuse to see if the measurement has changed. This is a very simple way to determine if there is a leak anywhere.

A leak could mean something simple like replacing a washer in a faucet or it could mean something complicated like digging into a wall looking for something that has gone unnoticed. It is smart to employ the help of a trusted plumber if you are unable to assess where the leak is coming from through simple checks of your plumbing fixtures.

Consider some water-saving measures in the kitchen

A few changes within your kitchen can cut down water usage significantly in your home. This can mean very simple habits like placing frozen foods that need to be thawed in the refrigerator overnight instead of using hot water. Running the dishwasher on nonpeak hours to save on water charges. Only running the dishwasher when it's full instead of several times a day. If you hand wash dishes, fill the sink with soapy water instead of leaving it running.

Some more costly investments that will pay for themselves with time include installing low-flow aerators on faucets and opting for newer energy-efficient appliances.

Switch things up in the laundry room

Washing laundry through a traditional household washing machine is said to be the second largest consumer of water in a residential home. Some ways you can conserve water through washing your clothes include only washing a full load and avoiding any cycle that says permanent press. The permanent press feature can use up to five more gallons per load.

If you are looking to save on your electricity bill you can also opt for washing clothes in cold water when possible instead of using warm or hot water. This does not conserve any water as it uses the same amount but it can't conserve energy.

How are your toilets working?

This may surprise some Parkland homeowners but the toilet is actually the largest culprit of water use in a residential home. And some toilets are actually using a lot more water than they need to in order to function. If you have a toilet in your home that has been there prior to 1993 you could be consuming two or three times the amount of water just by having it in your home.

If you have an older model toilet in your home it is a good idea to consider replacing it with a newer low-flush model. Some new toilets use as little as 1 gallon per flush for maximum conservation and savings on utility bills.

If you have an older toilet in your home and are not within a current budget to replace it adding a few inches of gravel or sand to a bottle filled with water with the cap screwed on and placed in the tank can help reduce the amount of water that is filled into the tank with every flush.

If the toilet tank is refilled periodically when the toilet has not been flushed this indicates the presence of a leak and this can be wasting 1000s of gallons of water per year. Constantly running toilets can be a huge use of water and money waste.

Smarter landscaping

Having a gorgeous lawn is a great asset to not only enjoying your outdoor spaces but keeping up your home's curb appeal. But the wrong kind of landscaping can be a huge use of water and be very expensive. It is good to reduce your water use by planting a drought-friendly landscape that thrives in the area in which you live.

Watering your lawn and plants too much can it be an expensive endeavor. It is also not good to overwater your landscape because this can be harmful to it and cause it not to thrive in the way that you wish.

Cutting down on water consumption is more than just friendly to the environment it is friendly to your budget as well.

For more information on home ownership in Parkland including available Parkland real estate or help with selling your Parkland home please contact us anytime.