Lowering Your Water Bill: Tricks You Might Be Missing Out On (Fergusons Plumbing’s Water-Saving Advice)

Worried about high water bills? You’re not alone. There are a number of smart ways to manage your water usage for a smaller bill.

Let’s examine some effective approaches to lowering your water bill and conserving our precious resource.

• Fix Leaks Swiftly: A small leak can result in large water waste over time. Address it promptly for water and cost-saving benefits.
• Water-Efficient Fixtures: Installing these can significantly reduce your water consumption, leading to utility savings.
• Replace Inefficient Appliances: Upgrading to efficient appliances is a strategic move that can lower your water bill noticeably.
• Brief Showers: Shorten your shower time for an impactful reduction in water use and cost.
• Dishwashing Habits: Optimise how you wash dishes to use less water, and save on your bill.
• Reuse Greywater: Innovative ways to recycle greywater can help you to decrease overall water consumption.

These simple yet powerful steps could considerably reduce your water bill while helping conserve a vital resource.

Taking Action for Lower Water Bills

Besides the above points, consider investing in drought-resistant landscaping that requires lesser water.

A smart irrigation system can further optimise outdoor water use, offering additional savings on your bill.

The key to dropping your water expense lies in strategic choices and conscious use of this essential element.

Fix Leaks Swiftly to Conserve Water

Dealing with leaks promptly can considerably reduce household water waste. In fact, if left unattended, a simple leak can lead to thousands of litres of wasted water annually.

You might be surprised at how much water is wasted by common household leaks such as dripping taps or worn toilet flappers.

Household leaks are often easy to rectify and doing so can save you a significant amount on your water bills.

Identifying Household Leaks:

• Monitor Your Usage: High water usage during colder months can indicate a leak. For a family of four, usage exceeding 45,000 litres per month signifies severe leaks.
• Check the Meter: Have a look at your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes, you likely have a leak.
• Toilet Leaks: Try placing a drop of food colouring in the toilet tank. If any colour appears in the bowl after 10 minutes, you have a toilet leak.
• Tap and Pipe Leaks: Check for any external moisture on tap gaskets and pipe fittings to detect surface leaks.

Taking these steps will not only help you identify, but also enable quick fixing of leaks. A swift response to detected leaks translates into substantial water savings over time.

If you’re unsure or unable to fix the leak yourself, it’s always best to get professional help. Hiring a plumber could be an investment that pays for itself in reduced water bills.

Acquaint Yourself with Water-Efficient Fixtures

Embracing water-efficient fixtures is a fantastic way to cut down on your water bill. Start with an ENERGY STAR qualified washing machine.

These appliances consume half as much energy and use 30% less water than typical washers. You’ll save an equivalent of 17 gallons per load, akin to a regular shower.

Replacing old washing machines with ENERGY STAR qualified ones not only saves water but also cuts down on energy consumption.

Next, consider low-flow fixtures such as taps and showerheads. Pre-1995 taps are notorious for guzzling water. Modern taps, on the other hand, limit your flow rates significantly.

New bathroom taps usually incorporate aerators restricting flow rate to 1.5 gpm maximum, a 40% reduction from older models.

Kitchen taps follow suit, capping their flow rates at 2.2gpm. This simple change can cut your usage in half.

Aerating showerheads mix water with air to produce a misty spray. This arrangement sees you using 50% less water than older models.

For toilets, switch to low-flow or dual flush options. Look for models using no more than 1.3 gpf – a significant change from pre-1995 toilets which used up to 5 gpf.

Dual flush toilets offer two options; the light-duty option uses less than 1 gpf for liquid waste while solid waste needs the regular option at 1.6 gpf

Replacing Inefficient Appliances: A Smart Move

If you’re considering new windows, be wary of manufacturers promising huge savings. Realistic savings range from 7 to 15 percent, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

When offered a smart meter, understand that significant savings are only possible if the utility company provides time-of-use rates. This allows you to run appliances during cheaper off-peak hours.

Smart appliance benefits often come in the form of convenience, like checking your laundry status from your phone. However, these appliances don’t typically reduce utility bills unless time-of-use rates are in effect.

While tankless water heaters promise significant savings and endless hot water, they can be costly to purchase and install. They may also limit hot water flow rates in larger households.

Remember: Replacing a 15-year-old fridge with an energy-efficient model could potentially lower your annual electric bill by $60. Likewise, a high-efficiency washing machine might save another $130 annually.

In fact, a study revealed most energy-saving appliances outperform their less-efficient counterparts without costing more at the store—especially when adjusted for inflation. So, you can benefit both your wallet and the environment by making a smart appliance switch.

Brief Showers: An Effective Water-Saving Technique

How do high pressure shower heads save water?

High-pressure shower heads, like those from StoneStream, serve as efficient tools in conserving water. These unique fixtures utilise anodised aluminium shower plates with 250 laser-cut spray holes.

This inventive technology accelerates the water flow velocity by a massive 200%, providing an invigorating shower experience while maintaining optimal water usage.

Are high-pressure showers skin-friendly?

Despite the intensified speed of water, these innovative shower heads are benign on the skin. They are even suitable for delicate skin types, including babies and pets.

The EcoPower shower heads notably diminish shower water consumption by up to 35%. This perfect blend of power and efficiency is designed to give you the perfect shower experience.

What is the benefit of the Eco Stop button on StoneStream shower heads?

The ingenious inclusion of an Eco Stop button on StoneStream’s shower heads facilitates more efficient water usage. Many people leave their showers running due to the inconvenience of repeatedly adjusting the water temperature.

However, with the introduction of the Eco Stop feature, you can pause your shower at any time without affecting your preset temperature. So whether you’re soaping up, shaving, or changing your playlist, you can limit unnecessary water usage.

How can we minimise water usage during personal care routines?

Apart from adopting efficient shower technologies, it’s equally important to be mindful during other routine activities. For instance, consider turning off the tap when brushing your teeth or applying a face mask.

Furthermore, ensure to properly turn off all taps after use. By practising these simple habits, you can make a significant difference in your water consumption.

Modify Your Dishwashing Habits for Less Water Usage

A staggering fact is that daily, a single Australian household uses approximately 100 gallons of water. By adopting water-saving practices, you could save up to $200 annually.

How does dishwashing contribute to this? Let’s focus on using the dishwasher first.

• Scrape your plates: Prior to loading them into the dishwasher, make sure to scrape off any leftover food. This minimises the water needed to clean them.
• Load efficiently: Arrange your dishes in an organised manner. This ensures that water has room to flow and maximises cleaning efficiency.
• Eco-friendly settings: When available, use your dishwasher’s environment-friendly settings. This option uses lesser water but cleans just as effectively.
• Hand-wash light stains: Instead of using the dishwasher for lightly soiled items, wash them by hand. This saves both water and energy.

We also have some tips if you’re hand-washing your dishes.

• Sponge usage: Try to reuse and dry your sponge between washings. Drying it reduces its demand for water each time it’s used.
• Minimal soap application: Apply soap directly to the dishes before wetting them. This helps reduce unnecessary rinse cycles.
• Cleanest to dirtiest: To save soap and water, start by washing items with less grime first and move on to those with heavier stains later.
• Rinse smartly: Rinse all your dishes under running tap water together at once, rather than one by one for optimal water usage.

With these dishwashing habits, you can significantly reduce your water usage and ultimately, save money.

Innovative Practice: Reuse of Greywater

Amongst the myriad ways to cut your water bill, the greywater system is a standout. This innovative solution harnesses water from your sinks, washing machine and dishwasher.

It repurposes this so-called ‘greywater’, re-using it for tasks such as flushing toilets and watering outdoor plants. This approach shrinks your water footprint dramatically.

The Benefits of Greywater Systems

Greywater systems are not just about saving money, but also about responsible stewardship of our environment. By reusing water, we reduce our demand on natural resources.

This isn’t just great news for your bank balance – it has widespread environmental implications. We can all contribute to a more sustainable future through mindful water use.

Understanding Greywater Systems

Adopting a greywater system might seem daunting at first, but don’t fret. Many reliable resources elucidate these systems’ functionalities, helping you make an informed choice.

Summary: A Small Investment for Big Savings

A greywater system is a few taps away from drastically reducing your water bill. A small investment now could lead to significant savings in the future.

So consider installing one today and start reaping the rewards!

Smart Irrigation: A Key to Lower Water Bills

Smart irrigation systems have made a significant impact on reducing water usage, with the potential to cut consumption by 20 to 40 percent.

This technological innovation works by adjusting watering schedules according to local weather conditions or ground moisture levels.

Ease of Use

The advanced system is designed with home WiFi compatibility, enabling homeowners to control their irrigation remotely from a smart device.

The need for manual intervention, such as turning sprinklers on and off, is completely eliminated with smart irrigation.

Programmable vs Smart Irrigation

While programmable irrigation systems require manual operations like timers and overrides, smart systems are fully automated.

The central pillar of smart irrigation – weather-based sensors – utilise local weather data to tailor watering requirements.

Installation Considerations

Installation generally involves replacing your existing controller with a smarter version or adding soil-moisture sensors to current setups.

Homeowners should take care to ensure system compatibility before deciding on weather-based or moisture-based sensor models.

In choosing a smart irrigation system, you pave the way towards substantial savings on water bills.

Drought-Resistant Landscaping: An Eco-friendly Approach

Landscaping with drought-tolerant plants is a sensible and eco-friendly choice.

This approach is best suited to our drying climate, saving not just water, but also reducing your water bill significantly.

Picking the Right Plants

The first step towards drought-resistant landscaping is choosing the appropriate plants.

Different regions have different types of native plants that have adapted to survive in those conditions.

Designing Your Garden

Once you’ve picked out your plants, your next decision has to do with garden design.

Place plants with similar water needs together. This creates efficiency in watering practices, further reducing water consumption.

Creating A Thriving Landscape

A well-designed drought-resistant landscape can thrive with minimal maintenance and water usage.

This way, you can create a visually pleasing space while effectively lowering your water bill.

Smart Savings Summed

Utilising Fergusons Plumbing’s water-saving tips can help Australian homeowners dramatically reduce their water bills. These techniques include installing water-efficient appliances, fixing leaks promptly, and making minor behavioural changes like turning off the tap when not in use. Remember, every drop counts when it comes to saving money and conserving our precious resource.