The cost of living is becoming more expensive every day. Utility bills are rising, as are the costs of housing and maintenance. But when it comes to your water bill, it doesn't have to be that way. There are several things you can do to lower your costs and keep your water bill budget-friendly. 

Water Cost Components

There are two parts to every water bill. The first is a fixed charge for the water supply. This is currently $271.40 per year. Even if you do not have water coming into your house through the water supply, an abuttal charge applies because the infrastructure is there for you to use now and in the future. 

The second part is the charge you pay for the water you use. This is a variable charge, meaning the more water you use, the more dollars you pay. There are three pricing tiers for this charge and they are based on your daily threshold. For example, the Tier 1 daily threshold is 0-0.3836 kL. For anything within that bracket, you pay the price of $1.945/kL. If you go over that, you jump to the Tier 2 bracket. The charge is averaged over between the meter readings and not on a day to day basis.

Average Water Costs

The average water bill in South Australia is $324 per quarter, with water usage higher in the summer than in the winter. This is pushing as much as 45 per cent of the population to conserve water and focus on lowering their water bills.

Tips for Reducing Your Water Bill

Shower more. Bath less. A shower uses less water than a bath. If you keep it short, under 10 minutes, you can save 30 or more litres of water per shower. If you shut off the faucet while lathering soap, you could save even more.

Fix leaks. Toilets, pipes, and fixtures that are dripping can waste up to 60 L of water every day. This is enough to jump a two-person household into the Tier 2 pricing threshold.

Wash a full load. When doing your laundry, fill up the washing machine. Whilst modern appliances are all eco-friendly, the fewer loads of laundry you do, the better. This same tip applies to the dishwasher. Make sure the washer is full before you run it.

Reuse leftover water. Water left in a drinking glass or pet dish can be used to water the plants. Water that was used to steam vegetables can be reused to make stock for soup.

Update your garden hose. Every minute your garden hose runs, it can waste almost 19 L of water. Put an automatic shut-off nozzle at the end of the hose to stop it from running unnecessarily while you are washing your car or watering your garden.

Water is not getting any less expensive, and these simple tips go a long way toward reducing your water costs in Adelaide. When you are paying per kilolitre used, every little savings will add up quickly.