Summer is coming, and after the past year we have endured, everyone is ready for a bit of relaxation. But most homeowners are also in agreement when they say that funds are pretty tight. So a long weekend of fun and excitement at home might even be too much for your budget. However, if you could enjoy your staycation with found money, it could be easier to get on board with this plan. And even more exciting is the news that you will be helping the environment.
Saving Water Also Lets You Save Money
As an average family of four in the United States, studies have determined that your household budget for water tips in at around $1,100 per year. And that equates to about 100 gallons per day for each person in your household. So what do you think it would take to reduce your water consumption by one-third? Each person needs to use only 67 gallons of water each day. Does that sound doable? Because if you could manage this reduction, the savings would come to around $360, or enough to have some fun in the sun this summer with your handsome windfall.
Something Simple
Everyone in your house brushes their teeth twice a day or more. But when you leave the water running, you are throwing away money. Consider each minute of water running while you brush as a wasted gallon of water. So turn the water off for the four minutes a day you are brushing, and each person will save four gallons of water. Now you are down to 29 gallons of water to save.
Another Biggie
If your household toilet was made and installed before 1994, it probably uses about 3.5 gallons per flush. And if it was made before 1980, it could be using up to seven gallons a flush. But we will assume you are using a 3.5-gallon model. The installation of a WaterSense toilet will drop that number to about one and a quarter gallons per flush. So you save two and a quarter gallons on each flush. If each person flushes four times a day, that is a savings of another nine gallons of water. Now we are down to 20 gallons left to hit the 33% reduction, and we have not asked you to give up anything.
A Common Savings
A Duke University study found that the average household uses about 22% of their daily water for laundry. And unfortunately, many families are not very efficient. Washing partial loads can waste about 25% of the water needed for a full load of laundry. Working as a family to wash only full loads of clothing and linens will collectively save an average of 88 gallons of water a day or 22 gallons each. That drops each person’s number below the necessary 33-gallon reduction! So you can start planning your staycation. But there is still one more easy way to save.
Water Leaks
The same Duke study found that the average home wastes about 14% of its water due to water leaks. So invest a few hours looking for dripping faucets, leaking hoses, and other simple fixes around your house. For the cost of a few washers and hoses at the big box store, you can be saving around 40 gallons of water a day as a family. So now the party can be even more fun. And if you find any leaks that you cannot correct yourself, call (701) 402-6643. The pros at A-1 Plumbing will get the job done quickly and affordably.