Most homeowners are concerned about saving money and one of the easiest ways to do that is by lowering your utility bills.

As plumbers, we here at Atlantis Plumbing know a thing or two about saving money on your water bills so here are our top tips on how you save on both.

  • Common Water Usage – the most obvious way to save money on your water bill is to use less water. According to the WaterCalculator.org, the most amount of water used in the average home is (in order of usage):
    1. Toilets – taking up a whopping 24% of the total usage of water, toilet flushing uses about 33 gallons per day per household
    2. Showers – the average home uses about 28 gallons of water per day showering
    3. Faucets – between bathroom, kitchen and other sinks in the home, the average homeowner uses about 26 gallons of water per day
    4. Washing Machine – a standard home in the USA uses about 23 gallons of water per day running the washing machine
    5. Dishwasher – this ranks one of the lowest in water usage – coming in at an average of 2 gallons of water per day

So how can you save money by using water with any of these?

Toilets – There are tools that you can install in your toilet so that it will use less water. Things like Fill Cycle Diverters, Tank Banks and more. Of course, you can also upgrade your toilet to the newer models like dual-flush toilets and low flow toilets that use less water. You can read more aboit How Low Flow Toilets Work here.

Showers – Most of us love the luxury of long hot showers but they do come at a cost. To save money you can cut down the time you spend in the shower and you can use a Shower Timer (yep, it’s a ral thing) to help keep you on track. You can also upgrade to water saving shower heads that are low flow and/or thermostatic. The low flow shower heads dispense less water and since there are 6 different grades you can choose one that won’t seem like you’re sacrificing too much. Read more about low flow shower heads here. The thermostatic shower heads regulate the temperature of your water so you can pre-set the temperature of your shower ahead of time and waste less water.

Faucets – Besides turning the faucet off when not in use (i.e. while brushing your teeth) you can also install an upgraded faucet that has a low flow fauce aerator. Most of the new models these days do. The low flow faucet aerator simply limits the flow of water even more without reducing the pressure. This of course, saves water and saves you money.

Washing Machine – One of the easiest ways to save money and water used up by a washing machine is to use warm or cold water to do the wash instead of hot water. Cold water will save you the most. You also want to wash full loads unless you have one of the newer washing machines that has a water sensor installed. Upgrading to the newest high efficiency models can also save you money in the long run.

Dishwasher – Upgrading to an energy efficient dishwasher is a great way to save money if your household uses the dishwasher every single day. Not only do they use less water but they should require less maintenance. You can also save money by running the dishwasher only when it’s fully loaded and also, if your machine has a soil sensor built in – you can avoid pre-rinsing your dishes. According to ConsumerReports.org – “…if your dishwasher has a soil sensor, rinsing dishes can actually work against you because if the sensor detects that the load is fairly clean, the dishwasher will run a light wash, which can leave pieces of food stuck on bowls and plates.” Instead, just scrape as much as you can off the plate before putting it in the dishwasher.

Outdoor Water Usage

The 3 most common uses of water outdoors are…

  • Sprinklers
  • Watering Plants
  • Washing down patios, cars, etc.

Sprinklers – If your home has a sprinkler system, you’ll no doubt see a much higher water bill when you turn them on. But there are some things that you can do to save money and water here.

  • If you don’t yet have a smart controller installed, then check into doing that. A less expensive alternative is to install an automatic rain shutoff device. This tells the sprinklers not to turn on when a certain amount of rain has fallen.
  • Upgrade your sprinkler heads. The newer models these days are much more efficient.

Watering Plants – Many homes in Georgia have beautiful front porches and backyard decks that many homeowners fill with potted plants and flowers. These require watering, of course. Some ways you can save money here is…

  • Save your shower water. Keeping a bucket in the shower that can fill up as you shower is a great way to re-use that water.
  • Install a rain barrel. Again, saving the water that is collected when it rains is another great way to water your potted plants, etc.
  • Choose drought tolerant plants simply because they require less watering.

Washing Patios, Cars, etc. – This can actually a large source of water usage outdoors, especially if you have teenagers who have their own cars. The necessity for higher water pressure means that there aren’t any low flow hose nozzles (none that we know of as of yet) so the very best advice we can give you is to turn off the hose when not in use. Consider using any of the waterless car wash sprays and washing your car with water only when a spray wash won’t do the trick.

If you have any questions about saving money and water, call Atlantis Plumbing today at 770-505-8570. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.