How to Reduce Your Water Bill
The cost of living is biting hard across New Zealand, and water is one of those bills that often flies under the radar. Unlike electricity or petrol, we don’t always see how much we’re using day to day, but it adds up fast.
The good news is, lowering your water bill doesn’t have to mean going without. With a few small fixes and some smart investments, you can waste less, save more, and make the most of every drop.
Fix Your Leaks
The quickest way to make a dent in your water bill is by fixing leaks. A dripping tap might not seem like a big deal, but over a year, it can waste thousands of litres. Even worse is a leaking toilet, which can lose up to 700 litres a day - that’s the same as five full baths straight down the drain.
The fix is usually simple. New washers or a repair kit are cheap, and if you’d rather not get under the sink yourself, a plumber can take care of it in a matter of minutes. Out of all the water-saving measures we’ll cover in this article, fixing leaks is the fastest way to stop your money slipping through the cracks.
Take Smarter Showers
A ten-minute shower can use up to 160 litres of water, and let’s be honest, most of us are in there for longer than ten minutes! Multiply that by a family of four, and it’s no surprise the bathroom is where the bulk of your water bill is going.
So, try to keep your showers short. The “four-minute shower challenge” might not sound like much fun, but it can make a big impact, even if you only do it over summer to offset the longer showers you take in the colder months. Second, think about swapping to a low-flow showerhead. They use air to make it feel like you’re getting the same amount of pressure, but while using less water.
And don’t forget, hot water usage also bumps up your power bill, so getting smart with your shower means you’re saving on electricity as well.
Clean Up Your Laundry Routine
According to Consumer NZ, washing machines use between 35 and 150 litres of water, depending on the machine type and settings, so how you use them makes a difference. Always run full loads where possible, and use eco or quick cycles if your machine has them.
Switching to cold washes also saves big on energy. In fact, modern detergents are usually designed to work just as well in cold water as they do in hot. For an even bigger saving, consider a front-loader next time you’re in the market for a new washing machine, they use less water than top-loaders.
Change Your Habits
We’re creatures of habit, and not all of them are good ones. It’s worth thinking about the way you’re using water around your home, and whether you could be doing things more efficiently. Instead of running the tap to rinse dishes, scrape them off instead. If you use a dishwasher, make sure you fill it up before turning it on. Most models use less water than handwashing, but only when they’re loaded properly.
Toilets account for nearly 40% of the average person’s water usage, so be mindful of how often your family are flushing. Older cisterns tend to use a lot more water than modern ones, but if replacing your toilet isn’t on the cards, consider fitting a cistern weight or water-saving device, which will reduce the volume per flush. For a family using the loo several times a day, it can quickly turn into hundreds of litres saved per week.
Get Garden Savvy
For those who love spending time outdoors, the garden is a great place to save money on your water bill. To make the most of what you’re using, try watering in the early morning or in the evening, which means you’ll lose less to evaporation. Mulching around your plants can also keep moisture locked in the soil, so you don’t need to water as often. If you’re thinking long-term, plant natives that thrive in their natural habitat without needing a lot of extra water.
Capturing rainwater is another good move. A downpipe diverter or rain barrel is cheap to set up and gives you free water to use outdoors. During dry spells, it can make the difference between a struggling garden and one that still looks great.
Reuse Your Greywater
If you’re serious about stepping up your sustainability, you need to look at reusing greywater. Greywater is the water from your showers, basins, and laundry. With a bit of filtration, it’s perfect for gardens.
Greywater can safely be used for lawns, trees, shrubs, and flowers. It’s not suitable for veggie gardens or fruit trees, since even filtered water can carry traces of bacteria. But for anything non-edible, it’s a steady source of irrigation.
WaterMate, Greywater Made Easy
Setting up a greywater system doesn’t need to be complicated. WaterMate is designed to connect directly to your household pipes, filter out the scum and soap, and send water out to your garden.
Once installed, the system works quietly in the background, turning water you’ve already used indoors into free drip irrigation outdoors. The filters are washable and reusable, and general maintenance is minimal.
The standard WaterMate is suitable for homes with one shower and a washing machine, while the large WaterMate is for bigger households. And because it’s a permitted activity when used for garden irrigation, you don’t need special consent. Just pick the right-sized system for your needs, and start saving.
Make Every Drop Count
Lowering your water bill isn’t about going without, it’s about making the most of what you have. Fixing leaks, changing habits in the shower, laundry, and kitchen, and being smarter about garden watering all add up. But if you want the biggest impact, talk to us about reusing greywater at your property.
WaterMate is proudly supported and distributed by Allflow, New Zealand’s trusted expert in pumps, filtration, and water management for more than 30 years.