Saving Money...On Water? An Introduction
Welcome to Saving Money with Andrew!
One of my favorite topics is how to save money by consuming less, whether it is less electricity (my two part series on LED bulbs) or gasoline (two part series on hybrids). Why do I like this topic so much? Often, these investments yield high returns—lots of savings relative to the incremental cost—and they are good for the environment. It also makes me feel good to be able to do more with less.
Recently, I took a closer look at our water bill. Water is often overlooked as a household expense, but according to the EPA and other sources, American households spend $500-1000/year on water, using anywhere from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of gallons per year.[1] We spend $600/year, using about 240,000 gallons at a cost of $2.50 per 1,000 gallons (over 650 gallons per day!). In certain parts of the US, prices are significantly higher.
Our lawn is our largest single category, using an estimated 67,000 gallons per year. Our summer water bill (when our sprinklers run every other day) accounts for about half of our annual water usage.
The remaining uses are indoors, including (based on EPA percentage estimates):
Toilet - 44,000 gallons (24%)
Shower - 36,500 gallons (20%)
Faucets - 35,000 gallons (19%)
Clothes Washing - 31,000 gallons (17%)
Leaks - 22,000 gallons (12%)
Other - 15,000 gallons (8%)
In the next few weeks, I’m going to look at various low-cost ways to save water, and discuss the return on those investments. To prepare, I encourage you to pull out your last few water bills and get a sense of how much water you use, your price per gallon, and your total annual water expense.
And now…Andrew’s pick(s) of the week:
I usually avoid violent TV shows, but sometimes something is so well done that it’s worth it. Barry, starring Bill Hader and created with Alec Berg (of Seinfeld fame), is a mashup of two shows—a dark and gritty crime show in the vein of The Sopranos or Breaking Bad, and a hilarious and somewhat absurdist comedy reminiscent of Arrested Development. I think it’s great.
I hope this has been helpful. If you liked it, please share it on social media! Also, please send me your feedback, requests, and success stories.
[1] This Wikipedia entry suggests an average of about 100,000 gallons per year between indoor and outdoor usage. With two kids, lots of laundry, and a decent-size lawn we use significantly more.