Saving water is a powerful way to reduce your utility costs.
You actually pay for it multiple times.
Your water company should be.
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
Ask one of these companies to help…
The combination of these factors is generally referred to as your service.
The size of your service, controlled by your meter, governs your waters pressure and speed.
And these days, it also governs how much you pay.
Many other water utilities do the same, such asLas Vegas Valley Water District.
If you believe that, Ive got a bridge to sell you.
Did you know?
I got a quarterly bill $60 higher than I ever had before.
Being university-trained in utility pricing, I read their price tariffs and regulatory filing to find out why.
Answer: The meter charge.
I called to complain and asked to have the meter replaced with a smaller one.
To my surprise, the representative tried everything you might imagine to convince me to keep my existing meter.
Think overdraft fees.Banks complain about overdrafts, but thrive on the fees.
Even if your rates arent structured this way, they could change.
Having a smaller service means youll pay less in meter charges.
You will also use less water per minute on every faucet.
If your company charges for the swap, complain.
Could your water pressure decrease with a lower flow rate?
If youre flush (pun intended) with cash, you could choose to buy adual flush toilet.
Or you’ve got the option to simply adjust your toilet to help you save money.
If it does, you probably need a newfill valve.
Theyre cheap and easy to change.
While youre there, adjust the float to use less water.
The lower the float ball is in a full tank, the less water it uses.
Need to replace a fixture, buy a new utility-related product or reduce your water use even further?
See if you might get a deal at the same time.
Next, gather phone numbers for your water, fuel, and sewer companies.
Ask whether the fuel company provides free audits that include water-heating products.
These packages usually include low-flow faucet aerators, shower heads, water-heater blankets, and pipe insulation.
Freelancer Dennis Lynch contributed to this post.
(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
You know which ones were talking about: rent, utilities, cell phone bill, insurance, groceries…
