You probably don’t wake up thinking about water, yet each day you use roughly 300 litres without blinking. A quick shower here, a rinse of dishes there, and suddenly the numbers add up. In a sunburnt country like ours, fresh water is precious, and, let’s be honest, the cost of every extra drop ends up on your bill.
So in this post, let’s discuss a few simple tweaks you can make today that’ll keep more money in your pocket and more water in our dams.
Be Mindful and Prioritise Bathroom Maintenance
Think of the bathroom as water-saving ground zero. You’re literally surrounded by taps and pipes, so every little adjustment makes a noticeable dent.
- Swap in a low-flow showerhead: Modern heads feel just as luxurious but trim your water use by up to 10 per cent. You’ll also need less energy to heat that water – two wins in one go.
- Upgrade to a dual-flush loo: An old single-flush toilet can gulp more than ten litres each time you pull the handle. A newer model uses about a third of that, and you still get the same, ahem, end result.
- Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth. Two minutes of running water, twice a day, every day, becomes thousands of litres a year -literally money down the drain.
- Shave with a basin of warm water: Fill the sink once instead of letting the tap run. You won’t even notice the difference, except on your water bill.
- Fix leaks promptly: That faint drip-drip you hear at night isn’t just annoying. A leaking tap can waste hundreds of litres a week. The sooner you tighten a washer, the better.
- Think beyond the pipes and taps: Think about tile repair and maintenance. If you notice deteriorating trims near the shower area, aim to regrout shower asap to prevent water damage. Cracked grout or loose tiles let water seep behind the wall, causing hidden leaks that hike usage and invite mould. Prompt tile repair or a full regrout shower job keeps water where it belongs and spares you future structural bills.
- Keep showers short: Knock two or three minutes off your morning routine. Pop on your favourite song and aim to finish before the chorus ends. Easy.
Embrace these small changes and you’ll see results on the next quarterly statement.
Adopt Clever Habits to Cook and Save Your Bills
The kitchen is where efficiency meets deliciousness, and a few habit tweaks go a long way.
- Let the dishwasher pull its weight: A modern, four-star-rated machine usually beats hand-washing for water use, especially if you wait for a full load.
- Soak pots and pans: Burnt-on pasta sauce? Fill the pan with warm water and leave it to soften while you eat. Scrubbing under a running tap is just flushing cash away.
- Upgrade the tap: Aerated or sensor-activated kitchen mixers give you the same pressure with fewer litres. If you’re renovating, look for a WELS four-star rating or better.
- Thaw the smart way: Plan ahead and defrost food in the fridge overnight, or use the microwave. Running water over a frozen steak is a fast track to a higher bill.
Unlock Loads of Savings By Doing the Laundry Right
You might not love doing the washing, but the laundry is another chance to cut consumption without sacrificing clean clothes.
- Match the water level to the load: Most machines let you choose. A half-empty tub on a ‘large’ setting is pure waste.
- Invest in an efficient washer: Front loaders and newer top loaders sip water rather than guzzle it. Look for a minimum 4-star water and energy rating; they pay for themselves surprisingly quickly.
- Wash in cold whenever you can: Dark clothes and lightly soiled items come out just fine. You’ll save on both water heating and electricity.
- Reserve hot washes for the real grubby stuff: Only white linens, nappies or grease-covered work gear truly need that high-temperature cycle.
Save Your Hard-earned Money and the Planet with Small, Water-Conscious Habits
At the end of the day, you’re the one turning the taps. Each conscious choice, like shutting off water while brushing, loading the dishwasher fully, or choosing a shorter shower, chips away at your usage and your bills. None of these steps are painful, and together they have a compounding effect.
Start with one room or even one small habit, then stack on the next. Before you know it, you’ll be saving thousands of litres a month, doing your bit for the environment, and keeping a few extra dollars in your account for things you actually care about, like getting a tile repair job done by professionals or booking that weekend trip to surprise your family!
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