Energy and water
Saving water can save energy.
The water that comes out of the faucet took a long journey to get to you. It had to go through treatment plants and pumping stations. The entire journey uses energy.
Heating water takes a lot of energy. No one wants to take a cold shower or bath. In fact, almost 18% of your home’s energy use goes to heating water. So the less water you use, the less energy you use.
What can you do?
- Talk to the adults in your home about installing a low-flow shower head.
- Take a quick shower and don’t let the shower run when you’re not in it.
- Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth.
- Wash clothes in cold water.
- Use faucet aerators in the bathroom and kitchen sinks.
- Wash only full loads in the dishwasher and washing machine.
- Help teach others what you’ve learned.
Try this!
Find out how efficient the shower heads and faucets are in your home. Work with an adult to take a 5-gallon bucket and hold it under a shower head. Have the adult fill it up while you use a stopwatch to time it. Once you get the time, divide it by five, and this will tell you the gallon per minute (GPM) rating of the showerhead or faucet. If it’s above 2.5 GPM, you could easily save water, energy and money by switching to a more efficient model.
Another great idea is for your family to have a home energy assessment. This free test spots energy waste and your parents can schedule one by contacting the company that provides your natural gas or electricity. Learn more if you're an Alliant Energy customer in Iowa or Wisconsin. Or, check with your energy provider to see if they offer a home energy assessment.
The video below shows what happens when you get the results of a home energy assessment.