Using the WaterSense label to lower your water bill
When a water bill keeps going up, or a toilet or faucet finally breaks and has to be replaced, the fixture you choose next affects every bill that comes after it. The WaterSense label exists to make that choice simple.
This page explains what the WaterSense label means, which products carry it, and how to get money back from your water company when you buy one. It also points to help if the bill itself is more than you can pay right now.
- NOTE: Savings vary - it depends on factors including how may WaterSense units are used, the number of people in the home / property, past usage and other factors - there are no guarantees to saving amounts.
What the WaterSense label tells you
WaterSense is a labeling program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A product with the label has been tested by an independent certification body and meets two requirements. It must use at least 20 percent less water than a standard model, and it must work as well as or better than the model it replaces.
The second requirement matters as much as the first. A cheap low flow showerhead can save water and still be unpleasant to use. The label is only given to products that prove their performance in testing, so a labeled showerhead or toilet is not a downgrade.
The certification also separates real efficiency from marketing. Words like eco, green, or water saving on a package are claims made by the manufacturer. The WaterSense label means an outside organization verified the claim. You can look up whether a specific model is certified on the WaterSense products page on the EPA website at https://www.epa.gov/watersense/watersense-products, which includes a search tool covering every labeled model.
Labeled models generally cost about the same as similar unlabeled ones, so you are not automatically paying more to get the label.
Products that carry the label, and products that do not
Inside the home, the label appears on toilets, showerheads, bathroom sink faucets, and the aerators that screw onto the end of a faucet. Outdoors, it appears on irrigation controllers and on spray sprinkler bodies. The EPA adds product categories over time, and the products page linked above always shows the current list.
Knowing where the label does not appear is just as useful. Kitchen faucets, dishwashers, clothes washers, and water heaters are not part of the program. Efficient versions of those products exist, but the WaterSense label is not the way to find them, so do not pass over a good appliance just because the label is missing.
Rebates from your water company
Many water companies pay customers back part of the cost of a WaterSense toilet, showerhead, or irrigation controller. The money comes from the water company, not from the federal government, and each company sets its own rules and amounts. The EPA keeps a national list of these offers in its WaterSense rebate finder at https://www.epa.gov/watersense/rebate-finder, which you can search by state.
Check the rules before you buy. Most companies require you to be a current customer, to buy a specific type of labeled product, and to send in the receipt after the purchase. Some pay the rebate as a credit on your water bill rather than a check.
If your water company does not appear in the finder, call them anyway and ask whether they offer rebates or free water saving devices, since smaller providers do not always list their programs. Some water companies and local agencies also give away items like showerheads and faucet aerators at no cost, or install fixtures free for customers whose income qualifies, so it is worth asking about a free conservation kit during that same call - see the free water conservation device page for additional details.
What actually changes on your bill
Replacing a fixture is different from changing a habit - say cutting back on usage. A shorter shower saves water only when someone remembers to take one. A labeled showerhead saves water on every shower, every day, without anyone in the household thinking about it. That is the main reason the fixture is worth the money.
Two other parts of the bill move when water use goes down. Showerheads and faucet aerators reduce how much hot water the household draws, so the gas or electric bill goes down along with the water bill, because the water heater runs less. And in many communities the sewer charge is calculated from the amount of water that comes into the home, so using less water lowers the sewer portion of the bill as well.
How much a household saves depends on how many people live there, how much water they use now, and what the local rates are, so no single dollar figure applies to everyone. The EPA products page linked above includes a savings calculator that estimates numbers for your own situation.
Renters can use the label too. A showerhead or a faucet aerator screws on by hand, costs little, and can move out with you. A toilet is different, since replacing one changes the property, so ask the landlord first. Some landlords will agree to the upgrade once they hear that a rebate covers part of the cost.
If the bill is already more than you can pay
While a more efficient fixture lowers the next bill, but it does not fix a past due balance. If you are behind on payments, or a shut off notice has arrived, see options that may help pay water bills, which covers the charities, government programs, and churches that help with water bills.
Program details, product categories, and rebate offers change. Confirm current information with the EPA WaterSense website at https://www.epa.gov/watersense and with your own water company before buying a product or counting on a rebate.
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