The water bill is one of those regular expense items many people just accept automatically without much thought.

When we flush the toilet, turn on the washing machine, or set up the lawn sprinklers, we do not really think about how our actions and choices will impact the size of the water bill we receive at the end of each month.

A person who lives a frugal lifestyle normally pays more attention to their water bills. After all, it is not an insignificant amount and it has been increasing at a rate higher than the general rate of inflation.

As a recurring expense that we have to pay month after month, year after year, it adds up to something big pretty quickly.

Here is a quick glance on 10 ways to save money on water bill:

Water Bill Saving Strategy	Cost of Implementation	Impact on Your Lifestyle	Annual Savings on Water Bill
Replace Old Sprinkler Controller with WaterSense Certified One	$50 more expensive than timer based sprinkler controllers	None	$120
Plant Drought Resistant Plants in Your Lawn or Garden	None when compared to non drought resistant plants	None	$330
Cover Swimming Pool with Pool Cover	$50 – $100	None	$90
Check for and Fix Water Leaks	None if doing it yourself	None	$90
Replace Dishwasher with ENERGY STAR Certified model	None when compared to non ENERGY STAR models	None	$3
Replace Washing Machine with ENERGY STAR Certified model	None when compared to non ENERGY STAR models	None	$60
Replace Shower Head with WaterSense Certified model	None when compared to non WaterSense models	None to Low	$40
Shorten Each Shower by 3 Minutes	$0	Low to Medium	$60
Skip 2 Showers per Week	$0	Low to Medium	$20
Switch From Baths to Showers	$0	Low to Medium	$10
Replace Toilets with WaterSense Certified models	None when compared to non WaterSense models	None	$90

How to Save Money on Water Bill

You can save water bills by using WaterSense certified toilets, showerheads, and sprinklers. You can also use ENERGY STAR certified clothes washers & dishwashers, repairing water leaks, opting for drought-resistant plants in your garden, and covering your swimming pool.

Let’s break down your water usage into several major categories. We will go into more detail on the categories of dishwashers, washing machines, showers, baths, and toilets. We will also review some useful products that are great at helping you to save on your water bills.

Related: How to Save Money on Electric Bill

Save Water Bill with Sprinkler System

Lawn care is a water sink. It can account for as much as 40% of the total water usage of a household. In addition, some experts estimate that as much as 50 percent of the water used for irrigation is wasted due to evaporation, wind, or runoff caused by inefficient irrigation methods and systems.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program certifies irrigation systems that are proven to be able to save water.

Acting like a thermostat for your sprinkler system, WaterSense certified irrigation controllers customize watering schedules based on local weather conditions. This way, water loss due to evaporation and wind is minimized. The average family can reduce irrigation water by 15 percent and save nearly 9,000 gallons of water annually by replacing a standard clock timer controller with a WaterSense labeled model.

At an average rate of $0.014 per gallon, that translates to a savings of over $120 per year.  

Save Water Bill with Drought Resistant Plants

The US has many different climate zones and topographic and geographic features. Each state and even areas within states differ in their ability to support different plant species without the need for extensive irrigation.

By planting drought resistant plants specific to your locale, you can cut down on the amount of water needed for irrigating your garden by more than 40% to save about 24,000 gallons of water per year.

At an average rate of $0.014 per gallon, that translates to a savings of over $330 per year.

Save Water Bill with Swimming Pool

Without a cover, the water in your swimming pool can evaporate very quickly.

Without a cover, an 18 by 36 foot pool can lose about 1 inch of water per week during the summer. In other words, over 400 gallons of water is lost every week through evaporation. For a 16 weeks swimming pool season, the total water loss through evaporation could add up to 7,000 gallons.

Using a swimming pool cover regularly could reduce that loss by 90 to 95%. That amounts to an annual savings of around 6,500 gallons of water.

At an average rate of $0.014 per gallon, that translates to a savings of over $90 per year.

Save Water Bill with Fixing Leaks

The loss of water through indoor leaks in an average household is estimated to be about 6,200 gallons per year.

Water leaks are present in an estimated 90% of all homes. Common types of water leaks include running toilets, leaking toilet flappers, partially opened or dripping faucets, and cracked or open supply lines. Find and fix these leaks and you could save 6,200 gallons of water per year.

At an average rate of $0.014 per gallon, that translates to a savings of almost $90 per year.

Save Water Bill with WaterSense Toilets

The average toilet uses 2.6 gallons per flush. In comparison, a WaterSense certified toilet will only use 1.28 gallons per flush.

Toilet flushing represents the single biggest indoor use of water in the average home, as such, the opportunity for saving water here is very big.

If you replace your non WaterSense toilet with a WaterSense certified one, you can save 1.32 gallons of water per flush. That represents a more than 50% saving in water used per flush.

On average, toilets are flushed 5 times a day per person. For the average household of 2.65 persons, switching to a WaterSense certified toilet can save 6,400 gallons of water per year. At an average rate of $0.014 per gallon, that translates to a savings of $90 per year.

Finally, let’s take a quick glance at the overall average monthly water bill around the country by state.

Save Water Bill with ENERGY STAR Certified Dishwashers

The average dishwasher uses 6 gallons of water per cycle. A dishwasher made before 1994 uses even more – more than 10 gallons of water per cycle. On the other hand, the average ENERGY STAR certified dishwasher uses only 4 gallons of water per cycle.

For the average household, the water used by dishwashers only amounts to about 0.5% of the total household water consumption. Despite this relatively low number, there are still things you can do to reduce the water usage of your dishwashers:

• Opt for an ENERGY STAR Dishwasher: By replacing your old dishwasher with an ENERGY STAR certified dishwasher, you can reduce the amount of water used per wash by 40% percent. For a family of 2, that could add up to over 140 gallons of water saved per year.
• Run a Full Load of Dishes: Fit as many dishes as possible in your dishwasher. Run your dishwasher only when it is full. This will reduce the number of times you need to run it and hence the amount of water used by it.
• Do Not Pre-Rinse Dishes: With modern dishwashers, there is no longer any need to pre-rinse your dishes before loading them. This will further save some water.
• Do Not Wash Dish by Hand: Believe it or not, it is actually more water-efficient to wash your dishes in a dishwasher than it is to wash them by hand.

By combining the above strategies, an average household of 2.65 people could save 200 gallons of water or more every year. At an average rate of $0.014 per gallon, that translates to a savings of just under $3 per year.

Save Water Bill with Washing Machine

According to the ENERGY STAR program from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy, a standard washing machine uses on average 23 gallons of water per load of laundry. Strategies to save water with washing machines include:

• Opt for an ENERGY STAR Washing Machine: By replacing your old dishwasher with an ENERGY STAR certified washing machine, you can reduce the amount of water used per load from 23 gallons to 13 gallons. For the average household that does 300 loads of laundry each year, that amounts to 3,000 gallons of water saved.
• Run a Full Load of Clothes: Fit as many clothing items as possible into your washing machine. Run your washing machine only when it is full. This will reduce the number of times you need to run it and hence the amount of water used by it.
• Re-use Towels: Many people wash their bath towels after just 1 use. There is no need for that. Hang up and reuse your towels instead. It will save you water.
• Skip the Extra Rinse: Many washing machines give you an option to have an extra rinse cycle. There is no need for that. Skip it and save water.

By combining the above strategies, an average household could save 4,000 gallons of water or more every year. At an average rate of $0.014 per gallon, that translates to a savings of almost $60 per year.

Save Water Bill with a WaterSense Shower Head

The average shower uses 15.8 gallons of water.  It lasts for 7.7 minutes at an average flow rate of 2.1 gallons per minute. Useful strategies to save water on showering include:

• Use a WaterSense Shower Head: While the average shower has a water flow rate of 2.1 gallons per minute, by using a WaterSense shower head you can easily cut that flow rate down to 1.5 gallons per minute or even lower. For each 7.7 minutes shower, you will be saving 4.6 gallons of water. For the average household that takes 12.4 showers each week (645 showers per year,) that amounts to just under 3,000 gallons of water saved. At an average rate of $0.014 per gallon, that translates to a savings of over $40 per year.
• Shorten Your Showers by 3 Minutes: If you shorten your showers by just 3 minutes, you will be saving 6.3 gallons of water per shower, assuming you are using a typical 2.1 gallons per minute shower head. For the average household that takes 12.4 showers each week (645 showers per year,) that amounts to over 4,000 gallons of water saved. At an average rate of $0.014 per gallon, that translates to a savings of almost $60 per year.
• Skip 2 Showers per Week: Americans average 6 showers per week. Many even shower every day religiously. There is no need for daily showering. Many experts suggest showering only every other day or less to prevent itchy skin and to protect your immune system. By skipping 2 showers per week, not only do you improve your health, but you will also get to save water – as much as 1,600 gallons per year. At an average rate of $0.014 per gallon, that translates to a savings of over $20 per year.

Save Water Bill with Shower instea of Baths

The average bath uses 20.2 gallons of water. In comparison, the average shower uses 15.8 gallons. A shortened shower (just a tad under 5 minutes) using a 1.5 gallons per minute shower head uses 7 gallons of water.

The average household takes 1.3 baths per week – 65 baths per year. By switching from baths to quick and water efficient showers, you can save 13 gallons of water per wash. That amounts to 845 gallons per year. At an average rate of $0.014 per gallon, that translates to a savings of over $10 per year.

Save Water Bill with Tools

To help you to start saving on your water bill right away, we have curated a list of helpful products that will make it easier for you to cut down on your water consumption.

No products found.

This is an EPA WaterSense certified low flow shower head. Its flow rate of 1.25 gallons per second is more than 50% lower than the typical shower head flow rate of 2.1 gallons per second. Better yet, you will hardly feel the difference in flow rate.

For a price of under $10, this shower head could save you more than $40 each year on your water bills. It is truly a no brainer.

This waterproof digital timer helps you keep your showers short and sweet – and saves you $60 each year on your water bills.

All that for a price of less than $15. It is another must-have for the frugal lifestyle followers.

With this amazing WaterSense certified Toto dual flush toilet, you can reduce the water usage of your toilet from the typical 2.6 gallons per flush all the way down to a minuscule 0.8 gallon per flush. For tougher jobs, you can also opt for the higher but still very wallet-friendly flush volume of 1.28 gallons per flush.

With this toilet, a typical household could save over $100 per year on its water bill. At this rate, this toilet will pay for itself in less than 3 years. What’s not to like?

ENERGY STAR certified washing machine can help you save on water bills. It can wash up to 15 lbs of laundry but only uses 7.5 to 16 gallons of water per wash. The water level is automatically controlled by the washer itself so you do not even have to worry about that at all.

With this super water efficient ENERGY STAR washer, you could save $60 or more every year on your water bills.

Its price of more than $1,100 is not cheap. So, if your existing washing machine is still working fine, there is no need to throw it out and replace it with the Westland ARWXF129WNA Splendide. It is OK to keep using your old washer.

On the other hand, if your current washing machine has stopped working and you are in the market for a new one, there is no reason not to opt for an ENERGY STAR certified model. The Westland ARWXF129WNA Splendide would be an excellent choice in this case – it will save you money both on your water bill and your electric bill. Better yet, it is not any more expensive than comparable non ENERGY STAR washers. It is truly an all upside, no downside choice.

This is a WaterSense certified sprinkler controller. It is a connected smart controller and it receives a weather data live feed over the Internet. Based on this weather data live feed as well as onsite conditions such as slope, soil type, sun, shade, and historical ET, this smart sprinkler controller will control the scheduling, timing, and volume of your sprinkler to ensure the maximum irrigation effectiveness while using the minimum amount of water.

With this WaterSense certified sprinkler controller you could be saving more than $120 per year on your water bill – all for a low purchase price of just a bit over $100. This controller will pay for itself in less than 1 year. It is a must-have for the frugal lawn owners.

Our Frugal Advice

It a typical municipal arrangement, not only are you required to pay for the water you use, but you are also charged a sewage service fee based on the water you consume. For example, if you use 3,000 gallons of water in a month, you need to pay a water fee on 3,000 gallons and you also need to pay a sewage fee on that same 3,000 gallons volume.

According to a study conducted by the management consulting firm Black & Veatch, the average water rate in the United States is around $0.006 per gallon while the average sewage rate is around $0.008 per gallon. Combining both the water and sewage rate, the average water bill is around $0.014 per gallon.

Now that you have got a sense of how much your water usage is costing you, let us look at some useful techniques that will help you save on your water bill.

Focus your money-saving efforts on the biggest categories of residential water usage including:

• Lawn irrigation
• Swimming pool evaporation
• Toilet flushing
• Showering
• Faucet flow
• Clothes washing
• Indoor water leaks

Our recommended ways to save on your water bill include:

• Replace old sprinkler controller with WaterSense certified one – $120 per year savings
• Plant drought resistant plants in your lawn or garden – $330 per year savings
• Cover swimming pool with a pool cover – $90 per year savings
• Check for and fix water leaks – $90 per year savings
• Replace toilets with WaterSense certified models – $90 per year savings
• Replace washing machine with an ENERGY STAR certified model – $60 per year savings
• Replace shower head with a WaterSense certified model – $40 per year savings
• Shorten each shower by 3 minutes – $60 per year savings
• Skip 2 showers per week – $20 per year savings
• Switch from baths to showers – $10 per year savings

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Last update on 2024-10-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API