Save Money on Rising Water Bills

photo credit: Mr. McGladdery

If your water bills are rising, it’s time to follow some of these water-saving and money-saving tips from Yahoo Finance:

• Save water in the garden by replanting with native plants. Natives will generally survive even the summer with little or no watering and they also decrease your costs in terms of fertilizers and pest sprays.
• Install water reduction kits throughout your house - these function by reducing the water flow (usually by up to half!) but they are clever enough to maintain good water pressure. Some kits come with other handy features like a colored tablet that will show up if your toilet is leaking.
• Turn down your water heater to 130 degrees - it’s still hot enough, yet most of them are pre-set to be 140 degrees.
• Only run your washing machine and dishwasher when you have a full load.
• Start using your graywater (the waste water from showers, washing machines and sinks) to water your garden. Apparently it’s not only a good recycling technique but this water is actually good for your garden.
• Install a rain barrel to catch rain off your roof. Some local governments have rebate schemes for rain catching devices and you can then use this rain on your garden.

Tags: Finances | Saving Money | Utilities | Water Bill