Summer Water Saving Tips

The sun is beginning to pokes its head out more frequently as May moves along, and as Memorial Day nears, full-blown summer is just around the corner. So while we are rejoicing in our household because it means our electricity bill will decrease (longer sunlight and no heating needed) we are now looking at how we can keep our water costs down as we strive to keep our plants pretty and are grass green.

Potable water consumption in the U.S. is about 340 billion gallons daily – accounting for about one-fourth of the US’s total renewable fresh water supply, according to an article in GreenBiz.com. When water usage is reduced through maintenance and conservation measures, thousands of dollars a year can be saved not only in lowered utility bills but also in maintenance and life-cycle costs.

Here are some helpful hints for you to reduce water consumption in your household and save money on water bills this summer:

* Install a water meter to increase awareness of water usage.
* Energy Saving Trust advises families to install efficient dual flush toilets or to put a brick in the cistern to flush less water away.
* Take a shower as water usage is far lower than when taking a bath.
* Water the garden less and never use a sprinkler system without a timer. uSwitch.com estimates that the cost of watering the garden is £1.03.
* Collect rain in a barrel and use this to water the garden.
* Water plants in the evening and not during the hottest part of the day so that the water has time to absorb properly.
* Never leave the tap running whilst brushing teeth. 10 litres of water a minute will be lost.
* Wait until there is a full load before using the washing machine or dish washer.
* Don’t clean the car with a hose pipe, use a bucket and sponge instead.
* Repair any dripping taps to prevent unintentional water usage.

Check out Personal Budgeting for more info…

Have any other tips for us here at HackALife? Let us know in the comments section.