We know how important it is to save water for the environment. But, many people don’t realize that when you conserve water, you can also make a huge dent in your utility bills. So, if your motivation for helping out the planet isn’t as strong as you’d like it to be yet, use saving a few dollars to make some changes toward water efficiency. Even just cutting down your water bill by $20 each month can save you over $200 each year. The tips in this article can put that money back in your pocket. Plus, you’ll be doing your part for the planet at the same time!

Fill and Store Cold Water
One of the biggest water-wasters occurs when you’re standing at the sink waiting for it to get cold. Nothing’s better than a glass of cold water on a hot day, but you don’t have to wait at the tap in order to get a cool drink. Instead, fill up a jug or two with water at the sink, and put it in your fridge. Then, you’ll have cold water ready to go whenever you’d like! You don’t have to wait for the tap to get cold, and you’ll have your water faster.

Use Your Dishwasher
If you have a dishwasher, you might think that it would use more water than hand-washing your dishes. Actually, it’s just the opposite. Nearly every dishwasher on the market today is energy-efficient. If you run a full load of dishes, you’ll reduce the number of times it has to run. Plus, your dishwasher will use less water than if you were to hand wash and rinse each dish.

Take Smarter Showers
If you want to invest a bit of money into reducing your water use, install a low-flow shower head. That quick fix alone can cut back the amount of water you use in the shower by up to 50%. But, if you really want to make a dent in your water bill, simply take shorter showers. Shorter showers are beneficial in many ways – they won’t dry out your skin or hair as much as standing under hot water for a long period of time.
If you can deal with it, try taking cooler showers, too. Then, you’ll save water and save on your energy bill because your hot water heater won’t have to work as hard.

Turn the Water Off
We end up wasting a lot of water when we do simple, daily tasks. Unfortunately, it becomes a part of our routine so we don’t often notice it. One of the biggest culprits is leaving the faucet to run while you brush your teeth. The next time you polish those pearly whites, get your brush wet and then turn the faucet off. If you brush your teeth for even two minutes, think of all the water you’re saving that would otherwise literally be going down the drain (with your money!)

As you can see, these are simple changes you can implement right away to cut back on your utilities. The more money you save, the more motivated you might be to make even bigger changes. In turn, you’ll be doing your part to conserve water and energy.