The first time our water bill arrived after moving into a house with a meter, I nearly choked. Every six months, the number crept higher. I blamed my teenager's epic showers. I blamed my husband for leaving the tap running while brushing his teeth. I blamed everyone except myself.
Then the meter reader knocked on our door and said he couldn't access the meter. Because it was underwater. In our yard.
Yeah. We had a slow leak. A leak that had been quietly wasting water — and money — for months. Cue the expensive plumbing repair and a hefty dose of humble pie.
That experience taught me something important: sometimes the water bill isn't high because we're wasteful. But often? It is. And those little habits add up faster than you'd think.
Here's what I've learned about cutting our water bill without turning into the shower police.
If you are looking for more ways to trim your household costs, check out our list of 15 monthly expenses you can slash without feeling miserable.
Table of Contents
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Small Changes That Made a Big Difference for Us
- 1. "If It's Yellow, Let It Mellow" (Stay With Me Here)
- 2. Turn Off the Tap While Brushing Teeth
- 3. Stop Rinsing Veggies Under Running Water
- 4. Wash Dishes Smarter (Not Harder)
- 5. Turn Off the Tap While Washing Hands
- 6. Keep a Water Jug in the Fridge
- 7. Shorten Your Shower (Or At Least Turn It Off Midway)
- 8. Boil Only What You Need
- 9. Run Full Loads of Laundry
- 10. Fit Tap Aerators (Cheapest Fix on This List)
- One More Thing That Saved Us Hundreds
Small Changes That Made a Big Difference for Us
1. "If It's Yellow, Let It Mellow" (Stay With Me Here)
I know. This one feels weird. My kids think it's hilarious. My mother-in-law would be horrified. But hear me out.
Every flush uses about 9 litres of water. The average family flushes the toilet 10-12 times a day. That's nearly 100 litres of perfectly good drinking water — gone — just like that.
We don't follow this rule all day. But overnight? Or if it's just urine? We skip the flush. My teenager thinks it's disgusting. My water bill thinks it's brilliant.
Potential savings: Thousands of litres a year, which adds up to real money on a metered bill.
2. Turn Off the Tap While Brushing Teeth
I grew up letting the water run while I brushed. It felt normal. It felt clean. It felt like 12 litres of water disappearing down the drain every single time.
Now? We wet our brushes, turn off the tap, brush for two minutes, then rinse. My kids grumbled for about three days. Now they don't even think about it.
Math check: Two people brushing twice a day with the tap running wastes nearly 18,000 litres a year. That's not nothing.
3. Stop Rinsing Veggies Under Running Water
I was guilty of this for years. Standing at the sink, holding each pepper under a full-blast tap, watching the water swirl around and disappear.
Now I fill a bowl or a clean sink basin with water, wash all the veggies at once, and use that same water to water my houseplants afterward. The plants haven't complained once.
Extra tip: If your veg is really muddy (looking at you, homegrown potatoes), do a quick rinse in a bowl, then a second clean bowl. Still less water than a running tap for five minutes.
4. Wash Dishes Smarter (Not Harder)
I love my dishwasher. Modern ones are surprisingly water-efficient. But I still wash some things by hand — knives, big pots, the things that don't fit.
Instead of rinsing each dish under running water, I fill the sink basin with a few inches of hot soapy water. Wash everything. Then quick rinse in a second basin of clean water. Same clean dishes. Way less water wasted.
If you have a dishwasher: Only run it when it's full. A half-load doesn't use half the water — it uses almost the same amount.
5. Turn Off the Tap While Washing Hands
We should all be washing our hands for at least 20 seconds. That's a long time to leave the tap running.
Wet your hands. Turn off the tap. Lather for 20 seconds. Turn the tap back on to rinse. You'll save about 2 litres every single time you wash up.
For a family of four washing hands several times a day? That adds up to thousands of litres a year. And your hands get just as clean.
6. Keep a Water Jug in the Fridge
Raise your hand if you run the kitchen tap for 30 seconds waiting for the water to get cold. Yep. Me too. Until I started keeping a jug of water in the fridge.
Now we have ice-cold water ready instantly. No waiting. No waste. And my kids actually drink more water because it's convenient.
Bonus: Add lemon slices or cucumber for fancy spa water. My daughter thinks this is incredibly luxurious. I think it's lemons I was going to use anyway.
7. Shorten Your Shower (Or At Least Turn It Off Midway)
I'm not going to tell you to take 90-second showers like they were doing during the Cape Town drought. But here's a compromise that works for our family.
Turn the water on to get wet. Turn it off. Soap up, shampoo up, do all the scrubbing. Turn the water back on to rinse. You're in the shower for the same amount of time, but the water is only running for half of it.
For the teenagers in your house: A water-efficient shower head costs less than £20 and can save thousands of litres a year without anyone changing their habits. Install one and stop nagging. Your relationship will thank you.
8. Boil Only What You Need
This is usually an energy-saving tip, but it saves water too. How many times have you filled the entire kettle for one cup of tea? Then poured the extra water down the sink?
Boil what you need. If you accidentally boil too much, let it cool and water your plants. Or save it for cooking pasta later. Just don't dump it down the drain.
My trick: I marked the minimum fill line on our kettle with a permanent marker. Now everyone knows exactly how much to put in.
9. Run Full Loads of Laundry
I have a teenager. She needs one specific shirt washed immediately. She used to run the machine with just that shirt and three other random items.
Now we have a rule: the washing machine doesn't start until it's genuinely full. If you need something urgently, you hand-wash it in the sink. Amazing how many "emergencies" disappeared after that rule went into effect.
If your machine has an eco or half-load setting: Use it when you absolutely must run a small load. But know that it still uses more than half the water. Full loads are always better.
10. Fit Tap Aerators (Cheapest Fix on This List)
I didn't know tap aerators existed until a plumber mentioned them. They're tiny attachments that screw onto your faucet. They mix air into the water stream so you use less water without noticing any difference.
A normal tap uses about 6 litres per minute. A tap aerator can cut that in half — sometimes more. And they cost just a few pounds each.
We put them on our kitchen sink and bathroom taps. Installation took five minutes. The water pressure feels exactly the same. But our bill went down.
Where to buy: Any hardware store or online. Just make sure you get the right size for your taps.
One More Thing That Saved Us Hundreds
Remember that leak I mentioned at the beginning? The one under our yard that we didn't know about?
Check for leaks regularly. Read your meter before bed and again in the morning before anyone uses water. If it moved overnight when no water was being used? You have a leak.
Fix leaks immediately. A slow drip might not seem like much, but it can waste thousands of litres a year. And if it's underground like ours was? You won't even know until the bill arrives.
I'm not perfect at any of this. Some weeks we forget the "mellow" rule. Some weeks I let the tap run while I chop vegetables. But even saving 20-30% on our water bill has added up to real money over the years.
These small adjustments are just like the tiny budget tweaks that can quietly transform your entire financial outlook. For more inspiration, you can also explore these clever ways to save money fast.
And honestly? Knowing we're wasting less water feels good too. My wallet likes the savings. My conscience likes the environmental part. Win-win.
Now tell me — do you have a water meter? And more importantly, do you have any tips I missed? I'm always looking for new ideas.
