With the price of utilities skyrocketing, many people are looking for ways to save money. Water bills, especially, it seems, are on the way up.

With budgets tighter than ever, many families are looking for ways to save money wherever they can. By making a few simple changes around the house, you too can potentially save hundreds of dollars on your water bill each year.

About 40 percent of all water consumed in the home is used in the bathroom and much of that is wasted.

A few simple tips, however, can help reduce water usage in the bathroom.

These include:

  • Taking a shorter shower. By reducing the amount of time in the shower, you reduce the amount of water used and the amount of energy needed to heat the water.
  •  Using a water saving shower head. Installing a water-efficient showerhead can save as much as 19 litres of water a minute, and that means big savings on water and energy bills.
  • Using a water efficient toilet that includes a half-flush option.
  • Reducing the temperature of your hot water system. Adding cold water to the shower wastes extra water.

Water usage in the kitchen can also be reduced by following a few simple tips:

  • When hand washing dishes, don’t use a running tap to rinse them. For those of us with two sinks, use the secondary one to fill with clean water for rinsing. If you only have one sink, stack the dishes on a rack and rinse them with hot water.
  • When boiling water for vegetables, only use enough water to cover the vegetables.
  • Avoid using running water to defrost food.

There are plenty of water savings that can be made in the laundry as well:

  • If you are replacing your washing machine, look for a washing machine that has a four (or more) star water rating. Front loading machines are more efficient than top loaders.
  • Running the washing machine with a full load can save up to 10 litres per wash.
  • Adjust the water level to suit the size of the load.

A dripping tap is simply pouring money down the drain

A single dripping tap can waste up to 20,000 litres a year.

Think of the savings you make just by replacing a washer in a tap!

Fitting flow restrictors to all your household taps is also an easy way to save water and money. Flow restrictors can be easily fitted without a plumber (saving you even more money!). They can lead to significant savings in both water usage and water heating costs.

It is also a good idea to keep an eye of your water bills for any signs of increased water use, which could potentially mean a leaking tap or pipe. Some water authorities may contact you if there has been an unexpected increase in usage, which is often the sign of a leak.

A growing trend these days is the use of water reuse systems.

These systems can help reduce household water usage by recycling water from showers, basins and taps. Water recycled through these systems can be used for toilet flushing, clothes washing and watering the garden.

Following some of these simple tips can help you save water, which will ultimately save you money.