If you’re looking for ways to trim your water bill while tightening your budget, you’ll be pleased to know there are effective strategies that don’t rely solely on habit changes.
Conserving water is one of the most straightforward ways to shrink utility expenses. That’s because water-related costs show up multiple times on your bills.
Consider this: cold water costs you when it’s delivered to your home and again when it goes down the drain. Hot water adds at least one extra charge — the energy to heat (and often reheat) it with a conventional water heater.
Search engines return millions of tips for “how to save water,” and many require you to alter your behavior. If you can consistently follow a few of those tips, like turning off the tap while brushing your teeth, you’ll save money — but sustaining those habits can be difficult.
Ways to Reduce Your Water Bill
Alongside, or instead of, changing how you use water, here are practical ways to lower your water bill without dramatically altering your routine. You’ll need to put in a little effort initially, but once completed, these fixes keep saving you money every time you run water.
Install a Smaller Water Meter
You probably don’t know the precise pipe diameter your house should have, the ideal size for a water main, or the perfect meter size. That’s okay — your utility should.
Those elements are collectively called your “service.” The service size, determined largely by your meter, affects flow rate and pressure.
Increasingly, it also influences what you pay. Some utilities, like American Water, which serves 14 states, levy different fees based on meter size in various locations, such as California and New Jersey. Many other districts apply similar pricing, including the Las Vegas Valley Water District.
You might imagine a water engineer measured everything, logged every appliance and designed a meter tailored precisely to your home’s needs. If you believe that, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.
More often than not, homes receive whatever meter was available that day — whatever sat in the parts room or what the crew thought would minimize complaints — which usually means a larger meter than necessary.
When I moved into my place, my meter was 1 inch. It didn’t bother me at first. Later, the utility convinced regulators to allow higher charges for customers with larger meters than comparable homes.
It worked: my quarterly bill jumped by about $60. With academic training in utility pricing, I dug into rate schedules and regulatory filings to learn why.
The culprit: the meter charge.
I called to dispute it and asked for a smaller meter. To my surprise, the customer service rep tried every angle to persuade me to keep the existing meter. My favorites included:
- “But you might install a pool later and you’d want it to fill faster.”
- “If you run your sprinklers and other appliances simultaneously, you could have reduced pressure.”
- “Your shower pressure would feel weaker.”
- “Filling a water bottle could take longer.”
Why would they push someone they just described as a high-usage customer to retain an oversized meter?
- Bigger meter = higher flow = more water used = more revenue for the utility
- Swapping meters = labor cost for the company and less revenue going forward
Think of bank overdraft fees: institutions complain about them but also profit from them. Same concept.
Even if your local rates don’t currently vary by meter size, they could change in the future. If that happens, you’ll be locked into higher bills until you downsize your service.
“A smaller service typically reduces your meter charges. In places like New Jersey, shifting from a 1-inch meter to the smallest size (⅝-inch) can save around $25–$30 monthly.
In the Monterey, California region, the difference between a 1-inch meter and the smallest meter can be about $60!
You’ll also get lower water flow per minute at every faucet. So by discovering ways to save water, you might also see reductions in sewer fees.
If the utility tries to charge for the swap, push back. In addition to voicing concerns to the company, notify your state’s public utility regulators by searching for “[state] utility board.”
Could water pressure feel lower after reducing flow rate? Perhaps, though sometimes pressure seems better even with lower flow — like when you partially block a hose. Within a week, you’ll likely adjust and appreciate the extra $300–$700 a year in savings.
Inspect and Tune Your Toilet
The old rhyme “If it’s brown, flush it down; if it’s yellow, let it mellow” is a familiar approach, though experts disagree about its effectiveness as a money-saving move. With small children, pets and a sensitive nose in my home, I don’t practice it.
If budget isn’t a concern, you could upgrade to a dual-flush toilet. Alternatively, you can tweak your current toilet to conserve water.
Give your toilet a simple test: drop food coloring into the tank and see if it seeps into the bowl without flushing. If the dye appears in the bowl, you likely need a new fill valve. They’re inexpensive and straightforward to replace.
While you’re working on it, lower the float so the tank holds less water. The lower the float in a full tank, the less water each flush uses.
Depending on your model, you can adjust the fill screw, tighten the float ball, or change the clip setting. Set it as low as possible and then raise slightly until each flush clears waste effectively with minimal water.
The EPA estimates that poorly performing toilets and incorrect settings cost consumers about $140 annually in wasted water — making these small adjustments highly cost-effective.
Seek Free Items and Rebates
Now that you’re exploring ways to cut your water bill, consider cost-saving upgrades. If you need to replace a fixture or buy water-saving devices, check for deals or incentives while you’re at it.
Start with the EPA’s rebate finder to see recommended products and potential local programs.
Then contact your water, sewer, and fuel providers. Ask about any conservation incentives or rebate programs they offer, including ones not listed on broader resources.
Inquire whether your energy company provides free audits that cover water-heating systems. Those visits often include free low-flow faucet aerators, efficient showerheads, water-heater blankets, and pipe insulation.
If your home is already efficient and you can’t squeeze more savings now, save this article for the next time you move so you can start with the right setup.
how to save water and money with your toilet
Rowan Miller writes about utility efficiency and holds a master’s degree in Economics with a focus on public utility regulation from New Mexico State University.
