How To Save Money

and Save Water Too!

.

Whether you’re a new homeowner, or have owned your home for some time, odds are eventually you will need to replace older appliances, fixtures and equipment in your home. In researching a new kitchen faucet, I discovered that there are a lot of rebates and incentives offered by our cities when we replace existing appliances with water saving models.    

Although low-flow toilets, showerheads, kitchen and bathroom faucets and even lawn sprinklers have been available since the mid-90’s. We heard that there were rebates available for reducing water consumption so we did some research and found that our North Texas counties and cities all provide some rebates on water saving appliances and fixtures.  

These rebates will provide money back one time on your water bill and the water you save will reduce your water bill every month - more money in your pocket - and it will help maintain our water supply. If you’re remodeling or replacing any of these appliances, fixtures or equipment you should take advantage of these rebates soon as the grant funding will not last. Once grant funding ends these rebates will go away. 

City of Allen - offers rebates for SMART irrigation controllers, pressure reducing valves for main water supply, rain and freeze sensors, rain barrels, low-flow toilets and water-efficient washing machines. For more information refer to the following website for additional information and details on rebate qualifications and application: City of Allen H2Ome Improvement Rebate Program.

City of Dallas - WaterSave Program provides a number of programs to help you save on your water bill by conserving energy including FREE high-efficiency toilets or up rebates of $90 per toilet up to 2 per household and Free minor plumbing repairs. The following site provides information on qualifications and how to apply as well as other useful information on saving water monthly or receiving a FREE irrigation system inspection: Save Dallas Water - Rebates and Incentives. You can also check the level of the North Texas lakes used for our water supply.

.

City of McKinney - WaterSmart Programs provides an exemption from the watering schedule with an ET controller as well as rebate for installation of ET Controller and rain and freeze sensor (separately). For additional details on this program, qualifications and how to apply refer to the following website:  McKinney WaterSmart Programs

.

City of Plano - WaterSmart Programs provides rebates for rain and freeze sensors, high-efficiency toilets and pressure reducing valve the on main water line (property must be on the  PRV Eligibility Map). For more information and how to apply refer to the following website: Plano Water Conservation Rebates 

Most every city in the DFW Metroplex has a water conservation program and although the amount and appliances or fixtures covered varies nearly all provide some form of water conservation rebate incentive. Check your city website or call your local water utility to get information for your location.

What You Can Do To Save

Here are 7 things you can do to not only save water but save money on your monthly water bill.

1. Fix dripping faucets - A very typical leak of 10 drips per minute wastes nearly one gallon per day, or 29 gallons per month or enough to fill a bathtub.
2. Take shorter showers - Showers account for about 20 percent of the water used indoors and are typically the third-largest use of water in the average home. According to a national study by the Water Research Foundation, the average shower uses roughly 17 gallons of water and lasts for around eight minutes.
3. Turn off water while our brush or shave. you can save roughly 200 gallons (760 L) of water a month just by shutting the water off once you go about your business. For every 1 minute your tap is running, you’re pouring 1⁄4 US gal (0.95 L) of water down the drain, so this definitely adds up over time.
4. Run your dishwasher only when it’s full. By waiting until the dishwasher is full, you’re getting the most bang for your buck when it comes to the water you’re using. Also, keep in mind that running your dishwasher will almost always use less water than hand-washing your dishes.
5. Check your toilet flapper valve - A warped or poorly fitting flapper can waste up to 200 gallons of water a day and may cost you hundreds of dollars a year. If you hear your toilet cycling or the water running you have a leaking flapper valve. Only a few dollars at the home improvement store and takes a couple of minutes to replace.
6. Store a pitcher of water in your refrigerator. Rather than let the water run to get cold simply keep a pitcher of water in your refrigerator - it’s cold when you want it and you don’t wait for the water to get cold.
7. Check your lawn sprinkler system - Many cities are offering free inspection and evaluation of your lawn irrigation system. Having the correct timing of the sprinkler zones as well as ensuring all sprinklers are functioning properly can save hundreds of gallons per month! A BIG saving on your monthly water bill.