Tips to Help Reduce Your Water Bill During Summer
Homeowners often find themselves taken aback by a sudden increase in their water bill during the summer months. While outdoor watering is a common factor, a dramatic rise may also indicate underlying plumbing problems that could be draining your wallet daily. In today’s blog, we want to discuss several possible reasons for an increase in your water bill and provide practical tips to help you cut costs, allowing you to save more for enjoyable activities instead of worrying about bills!
Why Your Water Bill Might be Higher?
Increased Lawn and Garden Watering: Sprinklers, hoses, and irrigation systems can dramatically increase water consumption, especially during hot, dry periods.
Leaking Outdoor Faucets: A slow drip from an outdoor tap may seem insignificant, but over weeks or months it can waste a significant amount of water.
Irrigation System Leaks: Broken sprinkler heads, damaged lines, or poorly adjusted systems often go unnoticed while wasting large amounts of water.
Hidden Household Leaks: Toilets, faucets, and underground water lines can develop leaks that aren't immediately visible.
Tips for Reducing Summer Water Usage
Be Sprinkler Smart
Water your lawn early in the day and avoid watering when it’s extremely hot outside.
Your lawn needs about 1-1.5 inches of water every week. To help better visualize how long to run your sprinkler each week, you can use the tuna can test to figure it out. Simply put a tuna can out, and time how long it takes to fill. Once the can is filled, your lawn has received the amount of water it needs to stay healthy.
Check the position of your sprinkler. You want to ensure it is placed properly in your yard so that you aren’t wasting water by watering the sidewalk, driveway or street.
Avoid using your sprinkler to wash outdoor spaces, such as your patio area or outdoor furniture. Instead, use a broom or water stored from your rain barrel.
While washing your car at home is convenient, if able, visit a local carwash that recycles water.
Use a rain barrel
A rain barrel is extremely useful. Since it collects and stores rainwater, it can be used for tasks like watering plants, or washing outdoor spaces, which reduces the demand on local water supplies and saves you money on your utility bills!
Use SmartUTIL
SmartUtil is a user-friendly online tool designed for both residential and commercial utility customers to:
Stay within budget: set spending alerts for your property's water and electricity usage and receive notifications before exceeding them.
Track water and electricity usage: access real-time consumption data for your property by month, day, or hour.
Make informed decisions: SmartUTIL allows you to determine how much power your space heater consumes, identify water leaks, or recognize habits like leaving the tap running while brushing your teeth.
By addressing leaks and making minor adjustments to your utility usage, you can reduce bills and save money! You can find out more about SmartUTIL, and how to access it by visiting the City of Saskatoon website.
A higher water bill isn't always just the result of summer heat. Identifying leaks and improving water efficiency can help homeowners save money and prevent costly repairs. If you have questions about how you can reduce your water bill, or have concerns about any plumbing issues, don’t hesitate to contact the Action Plumbing team!