Save water, save money
Although the cost varies depending on whether your water is gas or electrically heated, the average B.C. household uses nearly $250 worth of electricity every year to keep the hot water flowing.
Installing efficient showerheads and tap aerators will help cut down on the amount of water you use, without sacrificing water pressure.
Install tap aerators in your kitchen and bathroom
Materials and supplies
- Kitchen aerator
- Bathroom aerator
- Washer
Skill level
Beginner
Time required
15 minutes
Installing a high-efficiency aerator on your kitchen sink could save you $28 per year in hot water costs.
- Unscrew your old aerator in a counter-clockwise direction.
- If the grooves on your tap are on the inside, then place rubber washers into the top of the aerator.
- If the grooves on your tap are on the outside, use a thin washer.
- Gently screw on the new aerator to the faucet and be careful not to cross the threads.
- Tighten the aerator by hand.
Install a water-saving showerhead
Materials and supplies
- High-efficiency showerhead
Skill level
Beginner
Time required
15 minutes
In many cases, showers can be the largest single contributor to overall hot water use in a home, accounting for 15% of total household energy use.
Replacing a conventional showerhead with a high-efficiency model is as inexpensive as $15 and is usually a quick and simple job. The payback for installing low-flow showerheads is almost immediate, depending on the frequency of showers.
- Remove the old showerhead from the pipe by turning it counter-clockwise.
- Briefly turn on the water to rinse out the pipe.
- Clean the threads on the outside of the pipe and tightly wrap thread-seal tape clockwise around the end of the pipe, three or four times, to prevent leaks.
- Screw the new showerhead onto the pipe and tighten by hand.
