A friend of mine came by the house the other day to help with a few things that needed to be fixed.
Mainly, it was the sprinkler system. We found several siphons broken, which were either leaking at the source or causing sprinklers throughout the yard to continuously drip. My friend couldn’t believe the amount of water he saw being wasted.
Why am I sharing this with you? Despite the huge amounts of rainfall we have had, water conservation is a way of life for me and I believe it to be a positive way of thinking for all of us.
So it struck me, as an active participant in water conservation, I have been unknowingly wasting gallons of water.
But what about people who may not be as conscious about water conservation? How much money are they throwing down the drain every day without knowing it?
Fortunately, my water bills were minimal for March and April, but it can be costly in the summer with the pool and landscaping.
March and April were the lowest water bills I can remember, mostly due to the rainy season as the water has not been turned on to fill the pool or water the yard once this year.
Hopefully you have been able to take advantage of all this rain, too.
I will let you know how my water bills compare this summer to last. With the leaks taken care of, savings are expected.
If you are not yet inspired to save water perhaps we can change that by the end of summer.
One more thing my friend told me was to turn the water off on all of the mature landscaping. They are established and don’t need as much water as the rest of the plants.
So they are only getting watered a couple of times a month as opposed to a couple times a week.
When we were in the backyard it was pointed out to me that the central heating and air unit had huge leaks in it, blowing hot air out and sucking cold air in.
When I told John how much my Pacific Gas & Electric bills were he was impressed, thinking they would have been double that.
He has taken care of the leaks, which will make a difference in the upcoming PG&E bills. I may not notice the savings till next winter or during the really hot months of summer, but I will definitely keep you abreast of the savings.
Hopefully these stories will get you thinking about your own home and prompt you to check your sprinkler system for leaks, or get your heating and air unit its annual check up.
Make sure your doors and windows are sealed when closed, and your flue is shut when the fireplace is not being used.
It’s these little things that add up one by one, putting more money in your pocket and less of it in that of the utility or water company.
If you have some tips on how you save money around the house, please e-mail them to me and I’ll share them with our readers.
Kristi Meyer is a real estate agent with HomeTown Realtors in Auburn. She has been serving the Placer and Sacramento counties for the past six years. For questions, comments or tips, contact Meyer at
seekristi@seehometown.com.
