Easy Tricks to Save Money on Your Water Bill

Home ownership can be costly — mortgage, maintenance, taxes, utilities. The good news is that some of those costs, like your water bill, are easier to control. Making a few simple changes can have your family using less water and easing the strain on your checkbook.

• Fix leaks. Leaky faucets and running toilets can be a major source of water waste. One trick for spotting a leaky toilet — add a few drops of food coloring to the toilet take. Wait 10 minutes, then check the water in the bowl for color changes. If you see one, there’s a leak.
• Shorten shower time. Consider setting a timer when you hop in the shower. Reducing your shower time by just four minutes could save almost 4,000 gallons of water per year and, by some estimates, up to 100 a year.
• Install a low-flow shower head. This can reduce the amount of water you use while showering by as much as 50 percent!
• Wash clothes only when you have a full load. Avoid using the permanent press cycle since this adds an extra rinse and uses about 5 additional gallons of water.
• Run the dishwasher only when it’s full. Load it properly and fit in as many dishes as possible to decrease the number of times you need to run it. Don’t run the tap non-stop to rinse dishes before loading. Instead, fill a small container with water to rinse off excess food particles with that.
• Avoid hand-washing dishes when possible since this uses as much as six times the water of running a fully loaded dishwasher.
• Try composting. Garbage disposals need a lot of running water for optimal performance. Instead of flushing them down the sink, keep veggie scraps for a compost pile. You’ll save additional water and make your garden happy.
• Xeriscape. Use native plants that are specifically suited to our local climate and require fewer resources. While you’re out there, make sure sprinklers are pointed at the lawn, shrubs, and flowers, not the concrete sidewalk or patio.
• Leave the grass a bit taller during the growing season. This helps shade the roots and slows evaporation. Keep the lawn mower blade no lower than two inches and leave grass clippings behind to improve moisture retention.
• Cover the pool. Obviously, pools use a lot of water. Covering them when they aren’t being used minimizes evaporation which means you’ll need to fill it up less often.
  
  Bottom line? Keep an eye on your water bill for changes, and if you notice any unexplained spikes in your bill, call your provider. It’s possible your meter could’ve been mis-read or there could be a leak in your system that needs fixing.
  
  Even though managing water usage and utility bills can be a bit tiresome, it’s far outweighed by the all the joys of home ownership! Have you dreamed of owning a home of you own? Or dreamed of life in a different home than the one you’re currently in? We can help make that dream a reality! The Rhoades Team are experts in Houston area real estate. Give us a call at (713) 515-3463 to get started or download our FREE guide, Buying Your First Home: Everything You Need to Know.