Conserving water is important, not only for the environment, but for homeowners' utility bills as well. The EPA says the average household spends $500 per year on water bills, reports Nikki Gaskins Campbell for Realtor.com, but installing efficient fixtures can save up to $170 yearly.
Here are some water-saving appliances and faucets that you can add to your next build:
1. Low-flow kitchen faucet
Low-flow kitchen faucets work by limiting the flow of water to 2.2 gallons per minute or less. The good news: If you’re buying a new kitchen faucet in the United States, chances are it will already be low-flow—federal standards require it. The price of these faucets, however, largely depends on whether you want something simple or all the bells and whistles (e.g., touch-on, touch-off function).
2. Faucet aerator
Attach an aerator to your faucet to reduce the amount of water that comes out at one time. It's a small mesh screen cap that is easy to screw onto the tip of your faucet. It acts in the same way as a low-flow faucet but costs anywhere from just $1 to $5.
3. Low-flow shower head
Get this: According to the EPA, the average family could save a mind-boggling 2,900 gallons per year by installing WaterSense-certified shower heads. Low-flow models minimize water flow to a maximum of 2 gpm. They limit water use and energy used to heat the water, and can save you $60 to $100 annually.
4. Low-flow bathroom faucet
Replacing inefficient bathroom faucets with low-flow models can save the average family 700 gallons of water per year, according to the EPA. That's equal to the amount of water needed to take about 40 showers. Low-flow bathroom faucets limit flow to a maximum of 1.5 gallons per minute and save about 30% of water compared to conventional faucets.
5. Dual-flush toilet
The EPA says residential toilets account for nearly 30% of an average home's indoor water consumption. But dual-flush toilets can significantly cut back on water waste because they offer two flush options that are based on the amount of water that's used to flush the toilet: low for liquids and high for solids. They typically have a maximum of 1.28 gallons per flush, so less water per flush means savings for you. The payback on average is about $130 per year.
