Are you spending too much money on your water bills during the summer months? With kids home and guests coming to visit, water usage can skyrocket in Indianapolis area homes. More gallons of water are needed to flush toilets, take showers, washing dishes, running the washing machine, and more. These extra gallons add up on your water bill so you pay more than the average utility costs during other times of the year.
Mr. Plumber shares how to lower your water bill and save money on water bills this summer. The water usage tips outlined below help make your home more water and energy efficient, so you can save money while you reduce the amount of water use and waste within your home.
Average Indianapolis Water Bills
In Indianapolis, water utility customers in single-family homes pay on average $35.00 per month for a water bill. The average household member uses 1.5 to 2.0 thousand gallons of water each per month. During times when there are more people in your home using water, expect to pay more money for water costs.
In addition to household size, the different ways water is consumed within a home also impacts the water bill. If you have more than one bathroom, if you use multiple water-consuming appliances – these factors cause your water bills to be higher than in homes where these points do not apply. No matter how many people are under your roof or the many ways you use water at home, the best ways to lower your water bill include using less water.
Best Ways to Reduce Water Use and Water Bills
The ways to save money on utility water bills during the summer months include altering your habits, making plumbing leak repairs, and removing inefficient appliances to install new low-flow models.
Water Use Habits That Help You Save
Adjust your household habits to limit water use and save water this summer
Tips for Cleaning
- You may find yourself washing dishes more in the summer, cleaning up from seasonal barbeques and parties. Reduce the amount of water needed for cleanup when you scrape plates and dishes clean into the trashcan, instead of spraying away debris with the kitchen faucet.
- Use an ENERGY STAR-approved dishwasher instead of hand washing dishes to save around $1,300 per year.
- Run your dishwasher only with full loads and use ECO settings that reduce energy use as well as water use by eliminating extra rinse cycles.
- Reduce the load on your garbage disposal by composting organic materials. You still need to run your garbage disposal on a regular basis to keep it maintained, but not running it as often nor filling it as heavily will cut back on energy and water use.
Tips for the Bathroom
- A toilet tank requires a lot of water to fill if you don’t have low-flow toilets in your home. Creating a toilet dam will reduce the amount of water needed with each fill of the toilet tank. Fill a bottle with water, remove the toilet tank lid, and place the bottle in the tank in a spot where it will not interfere with internal components. The bottle takes up volume in the tank so less water is used with each fill.
- Shut off water faucets when brushing your teeth or shaving. Use water to wet the toothbrush then turn off the faucet until you are ready to use water to rinse. Saving water in this way conserves up to 8 gallons of water every time!
- Reduce water consumption and the use of hot water when you take shorter showers in the summer. Your water heater won’t use as much energy to heat hot water, so you can keep these appliances energy efficient. Make sure water volume is enough so you can take shorter showers without sacrificing your comfort.
- Reduce hot water temperature by turning down your water heater Set it to 120 degrees to save energy while maintaining comfortable hot water temperatures.
Saving Water Outdoors
- Check out hose bibbs, garden hoses, and every sprinkler head in your irrigation system to see if there are any leaks due to damage. Replace damaged parts to prevent water waste due to leaks.
- Keep your pool covered when no one is using it. Covering the water prevents it from evaporating so you don’t have to fill it back up with your home’s water source, which often costs a lot of money.
- Don’t leave your hose running while washing a vehicle in the driveway. Just fill a bucket with water and use this to do your washing. Only turn on the hose again to rinse the car when finished. If you leave the hose running, you could waste as much as 10 gallons of water per minute.
Water Saving Landscaping Tips
- When you water garden plants, only do so before about 9 a.m. You want to water plants before the heat of the day so water can soak into roots before heat causes it to evaporate.
- Keep flowerbeds covered with a 3-inch mulch layer to help soil retain moisture for the benefit of your plants.
- Mow the lawn to 3 to 4 inches for optimal root growth, which provides blades with access to moisture held deeper within the soil.
- Use rain for a natural way to water your plants and lawn. Install a rain barrel to capture rain runoff which can be used to water outdoors during dry spells, which doesn’t cost you any money.
- If you do water your lawn, do so early in the morning, and don’t water when it is windy outside. Heat and wind cause evaporation and your grass won’t receive enough water.
- Adjust sprinklers so that they only spray water onto lawns and other landscaping targets. Sprinklers waste water when they overspray onto sidewalks and other areas.
- Don’t use your hose to spray water on the driveway or sidewalk as you clean up grass clippings and stray mulch bits. Instead, just use a regular broom to sweep them away.
Fix Plumbing Leaks
The average home loses around 10,000 gallons of water every year due to leaks within the plumbing system, whether you realize they exist or not. Even a leak that seems slow or minor will result in enough water loss to create an increase on your water bill over time.
Leaks can occur anywhere but commonly affect plumbing fixtures like faucets, showers, and toilets. Look at the fixtures around your home to spot leaks and take action to fix leaks now. When you correct a leak, you save money, save water, and protect your plumbing fixtures from wear and tear damage.
Install Low Flow Fixtures
Older model toilets, faucets, showerheads, and appliances waste a lot of water as they operate. New low-flow appliances and fixtures must abide by strict regulations governing how much water they use to operate. If you replace inefficient fixtures and install low-flow options, you’ll be saving water with no ongoing effort! Once they are installed, they start saving water right away.
- A toilet made before 1994 can use anywhere between 3.5 and 7 gallons of water per flush! Today’s standard, which has been in effect since 1994, is 1.6 gallons per flush. Low-flow WaterSense toilets use only 1.28 gallons or less per flush.
- An older shower heat can use more than 2.5 gallons per minute, though today’s standard is 2.5 gallons. A low-flow shower head with the WaterSense label must have a flow rate of 2.0 gallons per minute or less.
- If the faucet in your bathroom is a decade or more old, it may have a flow rate of around 5 gallons per minute! Standard faucets today have a flow rate of 2.2 gallons per minute or less. WaterSense faucets are low-flow with a flow rate of 1.5 gallons per minute or less.
- Older washing machines need around 20 gallons of water for washing a load of laundry. Today’s ENERGY STAR washing machines use 14 gallons per load or less for washing clothing.
Save Water, Save Money with Mr. Plumber
If your Indianapolis water bills are too high, Mr. Plumber is here to provide the relief you need. The water-saving tips above are great when you want to save money on your water costs. While you can easily change your habits, you may need some help with the plumbing repairs and upgrades that generate substantial savings.
Mr. Plumber of Indianapolis has a team of licensed, dedicated plumbers who provide accurate leak repair services and install new low-flow plumbing fixtures. If you notice leaks in your home or suspect you may have a hidden leak due to high water bills, we will find it and fix it fast. Our team will install new toilets, showers, faucets, and other fixtures to help you reduce water usage in areas throughout your home. To make an appointment for repair services or to request an estimate for installation, please give us a call.
