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Water is set to get expensive - and by no small means either. Singapore relies on natural gas for roughly 95% of its electricity. Energy-intensive water production processes like NEWater production and seawater desalination are critical to the national water supply, any sustained spike in fuel costs translates directly into higher operational expenses for water treatment
The rise in water prices is brought about due to the ongoing Iran-US war - out of our control entirely.
We can still make sure our monthly water bills don’t shoot up too high by implementing the following steps.
Audit Your Past Water Bills
We’ll first start with reviewing and monitoring the water bill. If you think that your water bills are too high then do a quick audit. An audit can be done by you. Simply check the meter reading before you decide to implement a few water saving techniques and check the metre reading once you’re done.
Time Your Showers
Water saving techniques may sound like something you heard back in primary school and in PUB’s campaigns, but the reality is that there is no fancy way of putting it. The lesser you use, the lesser you pay. You can try taking shorter showers, keeping the shower to less than 5 minutes, and turning the shower off while applying soap or shampoo.
Keep a sink full of water
Shaving, washing your face, washing vegetables, and anything that needs you to be in front of a sink should be done with a filled sink rather than a running tap. We don’t realise how much we waste when the tap is running.
Fix Tap Leaks
Those tiny drops going by from our kitchen sink or our washroom can add up. Imagine a drop every two seconds, down the drain. That is a lot of water literally going down the drain. Fix leaks as soon as possible. Check leaky water closets, as those can also cause a lot of water to be wasted.
Washing machines on full loads only
Do your laundry in the washing machine only on a full load. If you can reuse the water from the rinse cycles, then do so for non-potable uses such as mopping the floor or heck, even washing your car.
Install tap thimbles
Begin using water efficient taps and thimbles. Get a water saving kit - it reduces water usage by almost 5% and is part of the water efficient homes programme initiated by the PUB.
Clean air conditioners’ filters
Air conditioners need to be cleaned regularly. No, we’re not just dusting the unit inside the home but cleaning out the filters of the conditioners. If these filters get clogged with dirt, which they will, it takes more energy for the air conditioner to effectively cool a room. Find savings in other areas of your house to further offset the hikes in your water bills.
Efficient home appliance technology
Technology often leaves us with fancier versions of appliances that we don’t really need. Water that would take far less energy to boil in a kettle over a stove is now being boiled in an electric one.
Thermo pots that consistently re-boil your water to keep it hot tend to use a lot of electricity. Use the energy saving function to make sure it doesn’t reboil when you’re asleep or at work.
Clothes dryers have a tremendous impact on your energy consumption which can completely be avoided if you hang your clothes out to dry.
Check your tech subscriptions
The smaller expenses in your house are what add up to your utility bills. When was the last time you used a landline at home? See if you really want that cable subscription. A lot of streaming facilities such as HBO, Netflix, and Amazon Prime offer us access to the latest content at almost half the price. Always be on the lookout for newer broadband subscriptions. These providers come out with new plans at faster speeds or better rates.