Earth Day Friendly Changes for Your Bathroom

This April, we should try to remember that Earth Day shouldn’t be just a single day of the year. There are many little changes we can make this month that will add up to big savings for the planet and our utility bill over the year. Things like changing less efficient lights to LEDs are a fantastic start to Earth-friendly changes you can make in your home. Here are a few more ideas specific to your bathroom!

Low Flow Shower Heads manufactured today don’t suffer the problems of water-saving shower heads of the past. They use innovative technology to maintain your usual water pressure and the same shower feel but with about half as much actual water, and they can save you over $200 a year on your water bill if your current showerhead is from the early 90s or older.

Toilet.

We actually wrote an entire article on energy efficient and dual flush toilets. Like shower heads, toilet technology has gotten noticeably better. You can now get a more consistent flush with significantly less water. And since over 30% of an average Canadian household’s water consumption goes down the toilet, that can make a huge difference to your water usage and bill!

Save Hot Water!

While some things just need to be washed hot — cloth diapers anyone? — a lot of our clothing will come out perfectly clean if they’re washed in cold water. Your teenager isn’t getting their school clothing particularly dirty and neither are most people working in an office, school, retail, library, or many other places. If your clothing isn’t particularly soiled, we suggest starting to wash with cold water. And if you can afford to upgrade to a high-efficiency front-loading washer, you’ll save substantially on your water bill each year. At the moment, the Alberta government is even offering a rebate to help you stretch your efficiency budget a little further.

Replace Dripping Faucets with Low Flow Options.

It may not seem like it, but every drip can add up to a whole lot of water over days and weeks and months. So when it comes to a leaking faucet, replacing it with a low-flow option that isn’t drippy is an obvious way to save money on your water bill and help do your part for the environment. Like low flow shower heads, you shouldn’t notice any difference in the pressure or feel of the water.

At Plumbing Paramedics, we love using Earth Day to encourage Calgarians to think about water and how we can work together to leave a healthy, beautiful planet for our kids. We think most Albertans will agree that we’re exceptionally lucky to have such a beautiful province with access to abundant clean, fresh water. Let’s all do our part to make sure our kids, grandkids, great grandkids, and every generation to follow gets to be just as thankful as we are.