Taking vacations and spending extra time with family is a favorite theme for the summer months. With June already here, you might be getting ready to pack the car and take your first road trip of the season. But, along with all of the fun and relaxation that comes with vacation, concerns about budget also nag in the back of your mind.
Your utility bills are one area of the household budget that you can influence with a little bit of thoughtful intention. Here are some ways you can reduce your water usage this summer:
Watering the lawn is essential during the summer as the heat can burn and kill the grass. But, it is also important to conserve water as much as possible. One trick that you can try is mowing the lawn without the catch bag on it. In other words, take the bag off of the side of the mower that catches all of the lawn clippings and allow the cut grass to lay on the lawn. These clippings act as a water-retaining mulch and reduce the amount of watering that you have to do with a hose or sprinklers.
Check for leaks. In the toilet you can add a couple of drops of food coloring to the water in the tank. If after fifteen minutes you see colored water in the toilet bowl, it is likely that you have a leaking toilet and you need to contact a plumber. Around your faucets you can keep an eye out for pooling water that comes out of the fixtures or collects behind the sink basin. If after you turn off the shower or bath you notice a drip, contact your plumber and have it checked right away. Even a tiny drip can add up to big dollars at the end of the year.
Install water-saving plumbing fixtures including faucets and showerheads. Your local home improvement store has a wide array of water-saving components in the plumbing aisle. There are additions that you can put on your faucets to reduce the amount of water that comes out, or you can install all new fixtures.
Every penny counts when you are saving for your summer vacations. Try some of these tips to reduce your water bill this summer.