Six Ways to Save Water (and Money) this Summer in Sarasota
How to Save Money on Your Water Bill
You know, a lot of “do it yourself-ers” think they can manage all their plumbing needs, but each time we tackle a problem involving water in our homes we accept a huge risk for possible disaster. A professional is going to be able to recognize the problem, the cause and the necessary corrective action without failures, mistakes or unintended consequences that could impact the integrity of your home. If you’re interested in saving money, we got answers!
While it may not be at the top of your priority list, you can take some quick and easy steps to reduce your water usage and save money immediately. Here’s how:
- Hire a professional to check your pipes and toilets for leaks. The money you save from the leaks will pay for the plumbing bill, and you’ll rest much easier knowing your home is safe from disastrous water leaks.
- You can also check your water meter to detect a leak. Read the meter and record the reading. Wait two hours during a time when zero water has been used and if the meter fails to display the same reading, you have a leak. What could be easier?
- Instead of running your tap water until it gets cold enough to drink, keep a bottle of water cooling in your refrigerator.
- Use your dishwasher rather than hand washing your dishes. Wait until you have a full load and let the dishwasher do the work for you. It’s less expensive than hand washing and frees your hands to do other things.
- There is also no need to leave your faucet running while rinsing the dishes before placing in the washer. Fill a container once and rinse everything there.
- The same applies to your washing machine, fill it with a full load and wash once, rather than multiple times for smaller loads.
- Make that morning shower a little bit quicker. If you shorten it by just four minutes, you can save as much as $100 and 4,000 gallons of water per year.
- A low-flow shower head can decrease the amount of water used by as much as 50 percent.
- Another total waste of water is to leave it running while you’re shaving or brushing your teeth. Just fill a cup with water and use it periodically to dip your razor or your toothbrush.If your water bill looks a bit out of whack, call the water company to determine why. You could have an unknown leak, or there could have just been an error when your meter was read. In any case, while you may pay a smidge more for a professional, you will have the peace of mind and no worries about the water use in your home. After all, your home is the biggest financial investment you will probably make in your lifetime. Keep it safe!