Wallet-friendly water savings: 6 practical methods to trim bills

With soaring temperatures and the need to stay hydrated even more, your water bill has probably been gradually getting more and more expensive. Just this week, we learnt that Singapore will raise water prices by 50 cents over two phases in 2024 and 2025. 

This means that residents will pay between $4 to $9 more per month, depending on their water consumption and the type of residence in which they live. 

While we all know about turning off the tap while brushing or turning off the shower when shampooing and soaping up, there are a few other handy tips that can help you save water and get that water bill down, so that you can spend your hard-earned $$ elsewhere. 

 Try these ideas for more water saving and $$ savings:

1. Reuse and recycle

One of the most efficient ways to reduce your water bill is to collect and use rainwater, something that we can do a lot in some months, given how wet Singapore can get sometimes. Do note, however, that while PUB does not regulate the use of homemade rainwater collection systems for personal use, rainwater is not for drinking! Whatever you collect can easily be used towards cleaning the house, flushing toilets, or even for use in the garden or washing your car (if you live in a landed property).

Likewise, don't throw away the water left in drinking glasses or pet dishes. Instead, use the leftover water to water plants.

2. Don't ignore the leaks

Don't underestimate even the smallest of water leaks, because even slow drips can quickly become the reason your water bill is always high. A water drip from a faucet can look harmless or even too little to make a difference, but when the drip is continuous, you are letting several litres of water literally go to waste. Get a plumber or handyman to come in and fix the drip before it gets more expensive.

3. Be creative with your toilet

Speaking of toilets, every time you do a full flush, you flush a substantial amount of money down as well. If you don't have a toilet flush that allows for a half flush, you could be using as much as 13 litres of water per flush cycle. A creative way of reducing the amount of water used to flush your toilet (and therefore a lower water bill) is to trick the tank into holding less water and therefore preventing the tank from emptying out completely. Take a plastic bottle, fill it with water or sand, and put it in the tank. The heavy bottle will help displace the water level in the tank, saving you litres of water without any change in your lifestyle.

4. Install faucet aerators in the bathroom and kitchen

An aerator is a small device that gets attached to the tip of a faucet to control the amount of water coming out of the tap. Besides being one of the most effective and inexpensive tools for saving water at home and reducing water waste, the aerator also acts as a filter for small debris, and is easily available from your neighbourhood hardware store.

5. Do full laundry loads only

Washing a full load of laundry is the most water-efficient choice. Unless your washing machine has an option to run a small load or adjust the water level, waiting until you have a full laundry load not only helps save water, but it also lets you save energy and money.

6. Replace your old appliances with water-efficient products

Old washing machines simply aren't as efficient as today's newer water-efficient models. Check the Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme (WELS) before buying new appliances and fixtures to know just how much water your machine is going to be consuming. This grading system uses 0/1/2/3/4 ticks to indicate the water efficiency of that product; and the more ticks there are, the more water-efficient the product is. According to the PUB, Singapore's mandatory WELS covers taps and mixers, dual-flush low capacity flushing cisterns (LCFCs), urinal flush valves and waterless urinals (2/3 tick rating) and clothes washing machines intended for household use.

ALSO READ: Compare 8 best electricity price plans: Open electricity market (2023)

This article was first published in Wonderwall.sg.