by Maria Papadopoulou

Created on: January 12, 2010   Last Updated: January 13, 2010

Saving money is not only good, but also necessary considering the recession. Learning how to save on your water bill can be of tremendous help for your budget.

How to save money on your water bill

 In the kitchen

1. Use the dishwasher only when it is full. The less you use your dishwasher the less water you will use and the less money you will spend. When buying a dishwasher, opt for one which has a water miser cycle, since it uses less water.

2. Avoid unnecessary rinsing of dishes that will go straight to the dishwasher anyway. Scrape off leftovers with kitchen paper towels and put the dishes into the dishwasher.

3. Boil a kettle of water for daily use, instead of  drawing hot water from the tap.

4. Limit the amount of utensils that you use per meal. Look for ways to combine foods into small and few utensils to avoid having to wash too many of them afterwards and use too much water as a result.

In the bathroom

1. Opt for 5 minute showers instead of filling the bathtub and use low-flow shower heads to control the water flow. Use only as much water as it is needed to  wet your body. Turn off the water while you  will be soaping your body  and/or washing your hair and turn it  on again only when it is time to rinse  off the soap. If you absolutely want to use the bathtub, then make sure you fill it halfway or even less. Before  turning on the water to fill the bathtub, make sure you have placed the stopper in the drain to control the water flow.

2. While saving, scrubbing or brushing your teeth, make sure that the water is turned off.

3. Flush the commode only when it is necessary. If something fells into the commode, wait until the next use to flush the commode again. It is important not to use the commode as a trash bin to throw things in, as this will lead to plenty unnecessary flushes, which will require lots of water that you will have to pay for. To  control better the amount of water that is used on the commode, choose a  water saving model.

In the laundry

1. Use laundry  mainly for  full loads . The less you use your laundry, the less water you will spend and the less money you will ultimately have to pay.

2. Use the preset levels that most washers have  in order to select the amount of water needed for the size of your laundry.

3. When having a few or small clothes to wash, opt for hand laundering. To control the water flow, put a stopper in the washtub for wash and rinse. Make sure that the faucet does not run.

4. Buy clothes that can be washed together so as to avoid using too much water for separate washes.

5. Choose water efficient washing machines. These can save up to 7,000 gallons of water per year.

Following the above tips in the bathroom, the kitchen and the laundry will help you save a significant amount of money on your water bill which can be used for something necessary.

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