One of the things that actually saved my wallet, was to check the bill. I never checked how much I pay for what, and it actually saved me to know what's going on. So, I would suggest you check where your money goes for every bill. If you use sprinkles, you can limit their use to necessary especially in rainy seasons and also adjust them not to waste water by watering the pavement as well. Run your appliances when they are full and don't waste water for one shirt or one dish. Keep some cold water in the refrigerator to use it when you need to. Lastly, one more thing that saved me; Repair everything...
Great advice! We recently had to install a water meter by new government regulations, so we're now really paying for the amount of water we use. I limited my showers from twice a day to once a day and always try to fill up some bottles with water and store them in the refrigerator. Also, our dishwasher always run on Economy mode to prevent from spending too much water while rinsing.
I read somewhere that using a shower is a very good way to save water. I know some people who go as far as to have the water from their sink run off into a small pond in their backyard so that they can use that water to irrigate the plants.
It would be best, I feel, to monitor all your resources. Also, other than price, very soon, water is going to be rare resource...so it is best now, to know where you are sourcing it from and how you can more or less control those costs. Price of water will definitely increase more then.
Theres a little trick for toilets too : If you cannot afford to upgrade to a new higher effeciency toilet that uses less water with more pressure per flush then you can use a bottle of water to save water. Drop a water bottle (ranging in size for 16 oz -1 ltr) into the water tank of the toilet. It causes the water level to rise hence using up less water to fill up the tank between flushes. Its essentially saving the amount of water you have in the water bottle per refill. The average household flushes a toilet 18 times a day; that's 288 oz of water a day or 105,120 oz a year. Imaging the savings
I actually read some time ago that watering the plants with cold dish washing water - as long as it isn't greasy, and there's no bleach in it - is better for the plants than watering them with fresh water. There are extra nutrients in the water from the detergent. I didn't believe it, so I tried an experiment. I watered half the garden with fresh water and half with 'grey' water. After only two weeks, there was a noticeable difference, so this not only saves water, it improves your plants as well.
They have special low flow shower heads that conserve water. When the low flow shower heads are installed, you will barely use any water on your next bill. Also, you can limit the amount of times you flush the toilet. Last but not least, buying a water filter for your kitchen sink will save you some money, instead of buying bottled water.
Showers instead of baths are a must - I know there are figures out there, but if I want a bath, I have to empty the boiler, wait for it to fill up, and then finish off pouring the bath! With bubbles, the heat from the first pour is kept in there. But it's still better to shower. Instead of a plastic bottle in the toilet, I use a brick. Not sure if there's a downside to keeping plastic submerged in water for an extended period, but if you have a spare brick it's a cheap and durable solution. And if not, rocks are still free aren't they ?
Yay, I figured out how to use the multi-quote option! Anyway, I've written a few articles in the past about this. It's called graywater and there are a lot of different ways to treat it at home so that you can reuse it. Blackwater is the kind with human waste, or basically the toilet. Graywater generally comes from everything else so long as it doesn't sit in the septic tank too long which will make it develop the bacteria that makes blackwater unusable. Some people who use graywater have it go to a separate area. Anyway, the water from the washing machine and dishwasher can't have any chemicals added to it like bleach. You need to use natural detergents. But it saves a TON of water. The only problem is that not all of the states in the US allow it to be used. It's worth looking into, though. Many European countries use graywater. Our water comes from a spring, so we don't have a bill for it.
No downside - I've been doing this for years. When the bottle starts to get malleable just replace it with a new one.
My dad used to put a brick in the tank of all our toilets. It would take less water to reach the level needed to flush. Now a days the have low flush toilets but I'm sure they are much more expensive then a good old fashion brick. You don't have to worry about how it looks because I doubt anyone will be looking in the back of your tank. Other then that I would just recommend turning off facets when not in use. You would be surprised how many people just let the water run while brushing their teeth. It's simple... wet the brush, turn water off, brush teeth, turn water back on to rinse.
I have never heard of putting a brick or a bottle in the toilet tank but that is prett smart! Lots of good ways to save money on the water bill in here!
A friend of mine suggested modifying the way we wash dishes. He went to Germany and found out that there, instead of keeping the water on the whole time you wash the dishes, people soap the dishes down one at a time and then rinse them all together. I tried doing this myself, and I found that the dishes didn't get as clean as I wanted them. Has anyone else tried this?
If we need to reduce the bill that comes to water usage we must first know how to save water or use use in a minimalistic ways. Here are a few tips. First, never wash your vegetables or food items in running water but use a bowl of water or fill your sink with water to wash them. Secondly, turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving. Thirdly, Use a bucket instead of a hose to wash your car. Fourth, mend all leaks. Last but not the least, let's get conscious about saving water.
I actually advice our nanny not to water the plants when it rains lol. Seroiusly, I clean our car whenever it rains or I simply just use a pail and a piece of cloth. Do Not use a hose to becuase it totally waste much water.
Caution is something that most of us do not have as far as the use of water and Electricity are concerned. I speak from experience, since I never exercised caution in relation to my Utilities and thus had to settle big bills. Your advice therefore will go along way helping so many others
Repairing everything is a good idea actually. You would be surprised how much more productive you can be with chores and etc. with a fully working toolset. It helps if you stay organized with all your supplies as well, as you don't have to run to the store for new stuff all the time. As for sprinklers, they don't take too much water, only if you leave them on for way longer than they should, so be mindful of your usage!
Here is a way to save on water that nobody really thinks about. How long does it take the average person to brush their teeth? If you want to do a good job, it should take you at least two to three minutes. Many or most people let the water run while they brush. Now multiply the time it takes to brush your teeth by the amount of people in your household, and if everyone keeps the water running, you have wasted quite a lot of water. Keep the water off while you brush and you will notice a difference in your water bill.
A water bottle dropped in the toilet tank? That is absolutely brilliant. I would have never thought of that. Definitely going to go home after work and do this. I have been racking my brain on how to save money on our current expeses. You might be a life saver here!
