Do you know what the average utility cost in America is? With the electricity bill, water bill, gas bill, and internet, this figure amounts to $429.33 per month! This is the national average and varies based on your location. So, in a populous city like Wichita Falls, utility costs could be higher because of the higher demand. But let us break it to you: you cannot lower your utility expenses by keeping the lights switched off. What you need is to invest in eco-friendly upgrades. And what better place to start than the bathroom?
Sustainable Bathroom Upgrades
If your aim is to lower your utility bills and become more eco-friendly, you could upgrade your whole house. You could go for a roof upgrade and get wall insulation. But these investments require a huge budget.
For starters, let’s talk about your bathroom, where there’s an opportunity to be more eco-friendly every time you shower, flush the toilet, or turn on the lights. Here’s what you can do.
1. Switch to a Tub
Switching from a shower to a tub can have surprising environmental benefits. While showers are convenient, taking a bath can be more water-efficient, especially for those who prefer longer showers. Luxury Bath Texoma offers professional shower to tub conversions, which can be completed in just a few days. Even if you’ve always showered, once you get into the habit of soaking in a tub of water, there’s no going back! Plus, it comes with the benefit of conserving water!
2. Install Low-Flow Fixtures
One of our best tips on the list to conserve water is going for low-flow fixtures. The unique plumbing design reduce water usage by up to 30%.
But one myth regarding low-flow fixtures is a lowered performance. But there’s no truth to this myth. Although low-flow systems use less water, they won’t impact on your shower experience.
Here are some low-flow fixture ideas that you can use in your bathroom to see an immediate drop in water usage without compromising on performance:
- Low-flow showerheads
- Low-flow faucets
- Low-flow flushes
What is the WaterSense Label?
With all the rage about water conservation, many manufacturers also promise big, unrealistic returns.
But to invest right, look out for a label with a drop of water with half a leaf on top.
Products certified with this label meet the EPA’s water efficiency standards and:
- Are 20% more water efficient than other products in the category
- Provide immediate, measurable water savings
- Perform better than other low-flow fixtures.
3. Install a Dual-Flush Toilet
A surprising statistic reveals that residential toilets use 1.6 gallons of water per flush! Luckily, recent advancements in flushing systems have lowered the water use to 1.28 gallons or less. One of these recent advancements is the dual-flush toilet.
This unique flushing mechanism has two options for flushing. One is for liquid waste that dispenses less water. And one for solid waste that dispenses just the right amount of water. With a dual flush system, you can reap the following benefits:
- A dual-flush system with a high-efficiency rating will ensure maximum water savings
- You can make your bathroom eco-friendly without compromising on functionality
- You can see the water savings with your dual-flush system almost immediately.
4. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting
A major part of your utility bills is electricity. Therefore, those who are on a saving spree believe that they can lower their utility bills by keeping the lights off. While keeping unnecessary lights off is indeed a good habit, it’s not the only way you can conserve electricity.
Another smart way to conserve electricity is by installing energy-efficient lighting. Here are some options for you to become more energy efficient:
- LED bulbs
- Installing smart lighting systems
- Install dimmers and use them when bright light is not needed.
LED Bulbs
Many people who want to go eco-friendly and save up on electricity costs first replace their traditional incandescent lights with LED bulbs. The benefits:
- Energy efficiency: These bulbs use up to 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs.
- LED bulbs last 25% longer. By investing in LED bulbs, you’ll save on energy and replacement costs in the long run!
- Lowered heat: Since LEDs also produce less heat, your bathroom will be cooler. This reduces the need to use bathroom fans to keep the air cool inside.
Smart Lighting Systems
There might have been many instances when you forgot to turn off the lights. This forgetfulness can cost you a higher electricity bill. But did you know that even turning off the lights for 5 minutes while you’re not in the room can elevate your savings? But this is only possible using smart lighting systems.
Smart lighting systems use motion sensor technology to turn lights on and off. So, if there’s no one in the room, even for a minute, the lights will dim and turn off automatically. In the end, you’ll see significant electricity savings with this system.
Dimmers
Dimmers can be really useful if you’re not a fan of bright lights. But since you cannot operate without bright lights, installing dimmers is one way to help you. At night, you can use dimmers in your bedroom before going to sleep.
5. Upgrade to a Tankless Water Heater
In the winter season, water heaters have really rack up your energy bills. One option to tackle this issue is to invest in tankless water heaters. These heaters are more energy-efficient than traditional storage water heaters. The reason is that they heat water on demand rather than keeping a large tank of water hot all the time.
When choosing a tankless water heater, consider:
- The flow rate
- Unit’s energy efficiency rating
6. Maximize Natural Light
Big, open windows greatly reduce the need for artificial lighting during the day. But since you cannot have big windows in the bathroom, sheer curtains can keep the bathroom illuminated while maintaining privacy.
Another option to maintain privacy is to install one-way glass mirrors on bathroom windows. You get a two-pronged benefit from this strategy: privacy and keeping the bathroom illuminated with natural lighting.
Conclusion
Your home and the environment can benefit from your investment in eco-friendly upgrades. However, there’s somewhere you got to start, right? That place could be your bathroom since it is one of the spaces in your home that is used the most. The best part about starting here is that you can see immediate benefits reflected in your water and electricity bills.
So, follow the tips mentioned in this article and be a sustainable homeowner with these eco-friendly bathroom upgrades.
