How much money is a gallon of water

There’s more to consider when you’re budgeting out your housing expenses than just your monthly rent or mortgage payment amount. And unless you’re planning to live totally off the grid, these extra expenses include your utility costs—including your water bill. The average water varies by location, but knowing the general scope of what you can expect to pay will help you set your budget and figure out what you can afford. It will also help you avoid any unwanted surprises when you get your first bill.

The average American family spends at least $2,200 a year on home utility bills, which include electric, water, and gas, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That’s nearly $185 a month that needs to be set aside for utilities, though depending on your usage it could be even higher. (There are quite a few ways though to save on utilities and keep your costs down, especially when it comes to your water bill—more on those later.)

So what should you anticipate spending on water each month? Below, we’ve broken down what you need to know about the average water bill and how it’s determined. We’ve also shared a few smart tips for maximizing efficiency in your home so that you can reduce both your environmental footprint and your monthly bill. Let’s get to it.

The average water bill in the United States is $72.93 a month for a family of four using 100 gallons of water per day per person.

This number goes up or down depending on usage, with families that use 50% more water than average spending about $115.50 a month and families that use 50% less water than average spending about $36.90 a month. If you heavily water your grass, have a pool, or have more than four people living in your home, your monthly bill will likely be quite higher than the average.

There are two major factors that determine the amount you spend on your water bill:

1. Your total water usage. This one is probably a no-brainer: the more water that you use in your home, the higher your average water bill is going to be. Beyond personal consumption habits, other factors that affect this variable include the size of your house and the water efficiency of your appliances.

2. The cost of water in your area. The cost of the average water bill varies depending on state, but also on zip code and region. For that reason, your bill might not necessarily be the same after moving, even if your monthly usage doesn’t change.

You generally won’t have a choice when it comes to your water provider, so there’s no use trying to shop around. The best thing that you can do if you want to bring your average water bill down is to take steps to reduce your usage. And fortunately, that’s actually a lot easier to do than you might think.

Easy Ways to Lower Your Water Bill

The average water bill of $72.93 a month is based on 100 gallons of water per day per person in a family of four—about enough for each person to fill a standard bathtub two and a half times. And while it might be hard to imagine yourself using that much water each day, it’s surprisingly simple to use more water than you think you are. The good news: that means it’s simple to cut back too.

Here are six super easy ways to reduce your water usage each day and month so you can lower your monthly water bill.

1. Turn off the water when you brush your teeth

   Leaving the water running while you brush your teeth wastes about 900 cups of water a week—the equivalent of 56.25 gallons—and it’s something that 42% of Americans admit to doing. By taking the simple step of turning off the faucet while brushing instead of keeping the water going a family of four can save 11,000 gallons a year, which is more than a month’s worth of water off your bill.

2. Cut back your shower time

   Another bad bathroom habit that can waste a ton of water: overly long showers. We get it, sitting under the hot water stream can feel like heaven after a tough workout or a stressful day on the job, but traditional showerheads use about five gallons of water per minute, and that adds up fast. So although a 10 minute shower might not seem that long, that alone will get you to half of the average 100 gallon per day per person usage.

   Every minute you can cut back will make a difference, so aim for five to six minute showers and ditch 10+ minute showers for baths, which use about 42 gallons. While you’re at it, switch to a low-flow showerhead, which only uses about 2.5 gallons of water per minute instead of five.

3. Use your dishwasher

   This might seem counterintuitive, but using your dishwasher is actually a whole lot more efficient when it comes to water usage than washing your dishes by hand. That’s because a standard dishwasher cycle will use just six gallons of water—or four gallons of water, if your dishwasher is Energy Star rated. Meanwhile, you’ll use 2.2 gallons per minute to run your faucet and hand wash your dishes. If it takes you 15 minutes to wash the whole bunch, that’s 33 gallons, which is the equivalent of five and a half dishwasher cycles.

4. Fix that leaky faucet

   A tiny drip coming from a leaky faucet can’t count for much, right? Well as it turn out, a leaky faucet releasing just one drop of water a minute is going to waste 1,440 drops in a day and 34 gallons in a year. No use wasting that water if you don’t have to, so fix any leaks and save yourself the money. Most leaky faucets simply require a new seal to be put in, which is a quick fix that anyone can do on their own.

5. Aerate your faucets

   While we’re talking faucets, consider making another quick but impactful change: adding aerators. These tiny faucet attachments push air into the water stream to reduce the flow volume, in turn allowing each faucet to run a lot more efficiently. Aerators are about $10 each and can be picked up at any home improvement store, so make the upgrade and reduce water waste right at the source.

6. Rethink lawn maintenance

   About 30% of the water a family goes through each day is devoted to outdoor uses—and the lawn in particular. This varies throughout the year and depending on the climate, but that means a lot of water is going to your lawn, and there’s a lot of potential for waste there. To cut back, try watering your grass less frequently and be more aware of when you turn the sprinklers on and off. While you’re at it, aim to water your lawn early in the morning or in the evening when you’re less likely to waste water through heat evaporation.

Keeping your average water bill down is as easy as being aware of how and when you use water and making basic changes to cut down on usage as you can. There’s no such thing as being perfect all of the time, but little changes now can lead to big savings over time on your bill.

How much is a gallon of water in money?

How much does 1 gallon of water cost in California?

Is 1 gallon of water a day too much?

How much does water cost in Colorado?