What do conserving water, deep discounts, and plumbing have in common? Holiday shopping season. No, it doesn’t make much sense. But, it does make dollars!

This time of year is when millions of Americans get out of the house before the sun rises so they can get the best deals on the various items on their holiday shopping list. In fact, the average person can expect to spend more than $500 on holiday gifts.

This is the best time of year to be pricing plumbing items for your home that will have a positive impact on your monthly water bill. Not only will there be great prices on the latest gizmos and gadgets but, you can score some big discounts on plumbing accessories that will reduce the amount of water your home uses each month – and, many of these items qualify you for a nice tax break.

Here are just a few ideas:

• Plumbing fixtures. The sinks and showers in your home use an average of two gallons of water per minute of use. If you have small children who have a habit of letting the water run while they are brushing their teeth, or who get side tracked while the shower water is running you might see a significant water bill each month. By installing low-flow plumbing fixtures throughout your home, you can reign in the amount of water that is being used without having to change much of the behavior. Drawing your kids’ attention to the new fixtures might help them to be more interested in saving water too.
• Plumbing appliances. If you have an older model water heater, dishwasher, or washing machine this is the perfect time of year to get yourself an upgrade. A new plumbing appliances will ensure greater water efficiency as all new models are designed with that as a priority. In fact, water heaters have recently been federally regulated to meet higher water conserving standards. So, if you purchase a newer model plumbing appliance this holiday season you are sure to see a big impact on your monthly water bill.
• Shopping for a new toilet is not a fun and exciting thing to do. But, since you’re going to be out shopping anyway, you might as well wander the toilet aisle and take a look at prices. The toilet is the one item in your home that wastes the most water. And, if your toilet gets flushed unnecessarily, this amount only goes up. Consider a more water-efficient model this year.

But, this is also a great time to spend a little money on items that will pay for themselves in savings throughout the year. Monthly utility bills are a big part of any household budget and keeping the water bill at a minimum is a big priority. Not only is water usage costly but, it has a big impact on the environment. So, it is up to each individual household to do what they can to conserve water.