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This article details how you can save significant amounts of money on your water and energy bills by making a few changes in just one room of your home, the bathroom!
As far as water use and energy efficiency goes, the bathroom is a great place to get started changing your habits. Why? Because according to the U.S. Government’s Environmental Protection Agency, about 41% of our indoor water use in the home goes toward flushing the toilet and 33% goes to bathing!
If you’re like me, you enjoy a nice hot shower. Heating that water requires a lot of energy. If you reduce your water use to bathe, you’ll also be reducing the amount of hot water you use, and thus, you can cut back on the energy required to heat the water.
You can save water and energy in the bathroom by installing low flow showerheads, upgrading your toilet to a low flow model, insulating your water heater and pipes, and by using faucet aerators. Additionally, there are a number of other simple things you can do to make your bathroom more water and energy efficient.
Keep reading for information on how you can save energy and save water in the bathroom!
How Much Water and Energy Do We Use in the Bathroom?
According to the US federal government, the average US family spends about $1,300 a year on home utility bills. We also consume roughly 75 percent more energy per family than the developed countries of Europe. Families in Australia and Japan also use less energy than we do!
Water use is another issue where we turn out to be major consumers. A report by the United States Geologic Service states that we use about 105 gallons per day per person in this country. And that was back in 1990!
Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and Security states that between 20 to 40 liters (5 to 10 gallons) of freshwater per person per day for drinking and sanitation is a reasonable and sustainable level of water use. If we include bathing and cooking, he suggests between 27 and 200 liters (7 to 53 gallons) per capita per day. Even if we add washing clothes and dishes, this total is still far less water than the 105 gallons per day per person that we tend to use in this country.
Tips for Saving Water and Energy in the Bathroom
According to the U.S Government, Americans use about 4.8 billion gallons of water every single day just flushing the toilet. In office buildings, hotels, etc., flushing toilets and urinals makes up for about a third of a building’s water use.
After 1980, manufacturers of toilets switched from high water use toilets that use about 5 gallons/flush to toilets that use 3.5 gallons/flush. By 2002, the federal government mandated a switch to 1.6 gallons/flush toilets. These toilets save water by augmenting the flush velocity or pressurizing the water when you flush.
If you are using a toilet manufactured before 2002, you should consider replacing it so that you can take advantage of the new low flow toilets. Switching from a 5 gallons/flush toilet to a 1.6 gallons/flush toilet can save you about 70% on your average water use per year. (Source: Michigan State Government Water Conservation Website (PDF file))
If you prefer not to switch to a newer toilet right away, a low-tech way to save water in the bathroom is to fill a small milk jug with water and place it in your toilet's tank. This will greatly reduce water use per flush. Low-flush toilets are a better option and will save you even more water though, so you should think about switching eventually.
The next thing you can do to save both water and energy is to switch to a low flow shower head. A low flow showerhead can cut your water use in the shower by more than 30 percent.
Some low flow showerheads are designed simply to reduce the amount of water coming out. This unfortunately means you get a rather low pressure shower. Thankfully, the technology used for many modern low flow showerheads gives you a good shower without sacrificing pressure. See an example of a high pressure shower head here. These showerheads use something called the Venturi Principle to improve water pressure. They also add oxygen to the water, which leaves your skin cleaner and healthier. You can read more about modern low flow showerhead technology here.
A typical showerhead uses roughly between 5 to 8 gallons of water per minute. Most low flow showerheads can reduce this amount to around 2.5 gallons per minute. (Source: Michigan State Government Water Conservation Website (PDF file)) Some low flow shower heads, like a water saving shower head, can reduce the rate of water flow to 2 gallons per minute or less.
A low flow shower head helps you save you money in two ways because it reduces both the amount of water you use while bathing, and the amount of energy used to heat the water. Considering that a showerhead of this kind costs between $35.00 and $60.00, a low flow showerhead pays for itself again and again. Manufacturers of one brand of low flow showerheads claim that the average family can save up the $600 a year by switching to their showerheads.
For your bathroom’s faucets, the Michigan Water Efficiency Program recommends installing flow restrictors or water faucet aerators. Faucet aerators are designed to inject air into the water as it leaves the faucet. It is very hard notice the difference in flow between a normal faucet and a faucet with an aerator. Depending on the aerator, you can save about 2 to 16 gallons of water per day. The cost is minimal to install an aerator and you won’t have to replace your faucet.
Flow restrictors are like washers that fit on your faucets and reduce the amount of water coming out. You can reduce water flow by around 2 gallons per minute on average. Unfortunately, they don’t compensate by adding pressure. That’s why aerators are generally a better buy if you want to reduce the flow of water coming out of your faucets without altering the pressure.
Here are more simple things you can do to save energy and water in the bathroom:
• Heat your water more efficiently. For example, put an insulating blanket around your water heater and adjust the temperature on your hot water heater to 140-degrees F (or lower if possible). A lot of heat is lost due to a lack of insulation around the tank. Moreover, many people keep their temperature setting too high for what they really need, so reduce the temperature.
• Insulate your exposed hot and cold water pipes with special insulating foam.
• Install an electric ignition to your furnace or boiler. This eliminates the need for a pilot light which burns extra energy.
• Place a bucket in the shower. As you shower, the bucket catches water that you can use to water plants, wash the car etc. You can also catch the cold water that comes out of the shower before it turns hot.
• Try to take more showers than baths. They use much less water and energy to heat up the hot water. To get the most out of your shower, remember to switch to a low flow shower head.
• Lastly, if you have dripping faucets or pipes, fix them! This is a major waste of water for many homes.
Energy and Water Saving Resources and Links
Michigan Water Efficiency Program has a great PDF file with lots of information on saving water in the home.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has information regarding water efficiency.
The Alliance to Save Energy provides information on water conservation for hotels.
The Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) Canada is a great website on saving water and energy in the home.
The American Water Works Association has lots of information on reducing water use.
“Flex Your Power” is an organization with a great site that has helpful information about energy-saving showerheads and faucet aerators.
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