Causes of Spiking Water Bills

All homeowners are different, but they have at least one major trait in common: They want to save on their water and other utility bills without sacrificing comfort. Many area extremely diligent about watching the monthly water bill and noting any major changes, but they might be surprised by sudden increases that don’t seem to have a good explanation.

At All Hours Plumbing, Drain Cleaning, Heating & Cooling, we’re here to help with issues like these. Our plumbers have seen every possible cause of a hike in your water bill – here are some of the issues that may be leading to it, plus what you can do about them.

Running Toilets

Toilets use the most water of any fixture in the home, and if you have an older model, it might be using a huge amount. Worse yet, toilets that are malfunctioning in some way will often use even more water.

For this reason, if you notice a water bill that’s too high without another explanation, it’s often best to check toilets first. Make sure flappers separating the tank from the bowl are not broken or worn down – this is often the cause of the issue, but it’s easy and cheap to fix. In other cases, it might be a leak between the tank and the bowl.

Hidden Leaks

Probably the single most common cause of rising water bills are leaks that aren’t noticed by the homeowner. There are many pipes that aren’t within your regular view, and if these are leaking, they can both raise your bill and lead to mold concerns. Check in common pipe areas like under sinks and in the basement.

New Appliances Without Approvals

Years ago, the EPA created an initiative called the WaterSense program to help promote water conservation in homes. One part of this is the WaterSense label, which is awarded by the EPA to various fixtures to prove efficiency and ecological friendliness. Installing appliances without this label in your home could raise your water bill.

Ignoring Issues

Even a single drip or small leak could add up to a huge increase in your costs – don’t leave issues like this alone if you notice them, even if they seem inconsequential.

Outside Factors

While all of the above are possible reasons for a hike in your water bill, you should only consider them after you’ve considered other factors that might have led to this increase. For instance, has anyone new moved into the home recently? Have you had guests for a long period during a given month? In other cases, bills will sharply rise or fall based on seasonal areas like sprinklers.

For more on the issues that might be causing your water bill to rise, or to learn about any of our plumbing services, speak to the pros at All Hours Plumbing, Drain Cleaning, Heating & Cooling today.