If your water bill is higher than most of your neighbours, there might be a reason to worry.
Either there is a problem with your lifestyle in which you waste gallons of water or something wrong with the plumbing system.
More often than not, there are leaks or faulty meter readings, which leads to excessive bills. A pinhole-sized leak can considerably change your water use and increase your water bill.
The two most essential plumbing fixtures to scrutinise when dealing with this issue are the water meter and water bill. Once you inspect these two, you will understand the reason behind the hike in the water bill.
7 Things To Check If your Bill Is Higher Than Usual
If your water bill is higher than usual, there might be many familiar reasons. Perhaps you are exerting your hot water systems more than usual, or there might be an issue with the meter reading.
To keep the water bill within limits, check out the following suggestions and avoid committing common mistakes.
1. Check Your Water Bill
Before exploring if your water meter is functioning correctly, examining your previous bills is wise. Here, you will find a lot of information about water usage and will be able to determine how much water you should ideally consume to keep the cost within limits.
Typically, the first thing to look at is the billing period, is the bill for a regular cycle? Or was it delayed, resulting in this bill being for a longer period?
2. Measuring Water Use
To restrict wastage, it’s essential to monitor your water consumption. Water usage will be calculated in gallons, litres, or cubic feet units (CCF). It would be best to convert the CCF into gallons or litres to decipher your water bill.
Investigating water-consuming equipment around your home can help identify where water could be used outside the normal.
Things like your sprinkler systems or increased laundry loads can consume a lot of water in a very short period.
3. Water Meter Reading
The two main types of water meter readings are actual and estimated readings. As the name suggests, the actual reading would help you identify how much water you have used.
On the other hand, an estimated meter reading is provided by your water company when the reading cannot be taken for some reason. It will help if you stay cautious, as an actual meter reading can be far higher than the estimated one.
So, if your bill is higher than usual, it’s time to enlist the help of professional plumbing services.
3. Leaks
A leaking pipe is a common problem in many households, often going unnoticed until it causes a noticeable increase in the water bill. Sometimes, a burst water pipe may occur in places like the washing machine or toilets. This way, you will use more water without realising that you are doing so.
It would help if you took good care of all the pipes on your property to ensure none leaked. Conducting regular checks is an excellent way to ensure that every tap is functioning correctly, and in case there is a problem, address it as soon as possible.
When you visit your garden, look at the underground pipes to see if there’s water pooling anywhere. If anything points towards a leak, it’s time to call an emergency plumber to identify the potential cause and fix it.
From our experience, a faulty toilet bowl pipe is a common cause of water leaks. If that is not fixed, there can be a wastage of water from your toilet every day.
This could lead to high water usage on your property as it will lead to water draining out of the tank without you noticing it.
4. Sudden Change In Water Usage
If you have many guests staying over at your property, the chances are that there will be a high water bill because of the sudden increase in water usage. Or, you might have even installed a new pool on your property to curb the warm weather, which would increase your average daily usage of water.
And if you are remodelling the garden, the chances are that your water use will be more than normal.
Some people even take irrigation, which increases the water they use daily. If you have kids in the house, the chances are that their “fun time” in the bathroom has increased your average water bill.
Switching to water-saving showerheads from taps can significantly reduce your water usage.
5. Irrigation Increasing Your Water Bill
Especially in summer, irrigation leaks can contribute to heightened water usage. And automated water irrigation systems are one of the reasons for high water bills.
You should regularly check your sprinkler heads to see any leaks. If your sprinkler sticks on, it could lead to high water wastage. Ensure that the timer in your irrigation system is properly working and the sprinklers do not keep the water flow on for too long.
6. Using Water Softeners
Many homeowners who use water softeners complain about an inevitable rise in their meter readings. This is mainly because of the backwash cycles or the regeneration that the units produce.
Water softeners use water to clean the filter media and discharge the unwanted wastewater through the pipelines. And in case the device gets stuck while working, it would lead to more water wastage.
7. Water Wastage Leading To A Higher Water Bill
If you see a sudden hike in the water bill, the chances are that you are overconsuming. Numerous household activities coupled with bad water-wasting habits often result in excessive water usage.
For example, some traditional laundry machines consume more water than modern-day washing machines. Hence, putting half a load into your appliance might be good instead of a full load.
Sometimes, overwatering your garden could lead to an increase in your water use. And this is not the only problem! Some people take long showers, leading to high water consumption.
It would help improve your kitchen habits to limit water use. For example, you can take the meat out of the freezer instead of thawing it under hot water before cooking for natural defrosting.
Besides, many people prefer keeping their taps running while cleaning the dishes. But such ill habits should be checked immediately to prevent water wastage with practically zero effort.
At the same time, you should improve your bathroom habits and not flush too many times in the toilet to prevent water wastage.
No Issues Detected
You won’t find any problem after checking for leaks and other discrepancies. It is primarily an issue with appliances that can be put on a timer in such scenarios: the irrigation unit or a washing machine on the timer and leaks.
Start by checking your appliances, and if you cannot detect a problem, move on to examining the valves. If you still cannot figure it out, you get a plumber for a thorough evaluation.
Apart from that, you can monitor the readings every week. If there’s a steady or sudden rise in water consumption, it is time to call for professional help for an extensive checkup of your plumbing system.
How To Reduce My Water Bill?
Getting your water bill under check is not a difficult task if you can figure out the cause. All the points that we have mentioned above should help you to put a check on your bill.
If you see an unusual hike in your bills without any change in water consumption, it is best to contact the water department. Get your meter reading and faucets checked for potential leaks. Other than that, a seasonal check can help you keep account of all the issues and would help you prevent related problems in the future.
See you next time!
