When thinking about saving money on utilities, the first thing that comes into mind is water. You can use a couple of home-based devices that will reduce your usage of this precious fluid, whether it is for the bills or because you are aware of its declining quantity in the world. Here are some of those devices.
When In the Shower, Method One
When taking a shower or drawing a bath, most of us do not pay that much attention to how much water we are using, but, instead, on if we are using enough of it. And that is where the problem arises – we use too much of it. However, water-tracking devices can help a lot.
One of these is Waterpebble, a small disc you install near your shower’s plughole that alarms you when you start using too much water. It can be distracting and annoying at first, especially due to its green light that turns into red when you reach critical values, but it is more than helpful.
When In the Shower, Method Two
Another good idea is a so-called four-minute-shower that forces you to be effective and fast in the shower and not waste too much time and, consequently, too much water. You can install ECO Showerdrop that measures the time you spend showering and amount of water and notifies you when it is time to get out.
When Washing Your Hair
Having a shower head that spurts less water means using less of it when washing hair, so eco shower heads are the way to go, tell us highly-rated Castle Hill plumbers. There are several models present on the market, all quite similar, which actually reduce your stream without you noticing. This way, you can wash your hair and waste much less water at the same time.
When Washing Your Teeth
Yes, you have to wash your teeth before and after every meal, but that does not mean turning the tap on and then making a phone call, starting a Facebook discussion or making a sandwich while the water is running. Tap inserts are nifty little things you can install yourself that will reduce your water flow and, thus, overall consumption on a monthly basis, which is helpful since you wash your teeth and hands quite often. Or you can, alternatively, just not let the water run while brushing and apply your water-saving method that way.
When Flushing Your Toilet
There are several gadgets, including The Hippo, that save you water in the toilet, which is particularly helpful for people with old installations and toilets that are ten or fifteen years old and set to use more water than modern ones. This device is actually activated upon every flush and saves more than three liters in its polyethylene bag each time it is used!
Additional Option: Rainwater
Photo by SuSanA Secretariat via flickr used under the Attribution 2.0 Generic
Since we generally use too much water on a daily basis no matter what we do, the best water-saving tactic is reusing rainwater for certain purposes. While it is not completely safe for showering, it can be used in the garden or when washing a car, for example, and it automatically lowers your usage of tap water. Finally, you can recycle bath water with a bathwater diverter and use it for hosing down your driveway.
Author Bio: If one thing is true about Lillian Connors, her mind is utterly curious. That’s why she can’t resist the urge to embark on a myriad of home improvement projects and spread the word about them. As the Co-Editor at SmoothDecorator, she cherishes the notion that sustainable housing and gardening will not only make us far less dependent on others regarding the dwellings we inhabit and what we eat, but also contribute to our planet being a better place to live on. You can check her out on Twitter and LinkedIn.