Conserving water doesn’t have to mean making big sacrifices. You can start by making simple changes around your home to reduce water waste and help lower your utility bill. With OUC’s efficiency tips, appliance rebates, and conservation programs, saving water can be easy.
Whether you’re indoors or outside, there are many ways to use water more efficiently:
Outdoors
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- When washing your car with a hose, always use a spray nozzle to stop water flow between rinsings.
- Clean driveways and sidewalks with a broom instead of a hose.
- Check for leaks in outdoor faucets, pipes and hoses, repairing any leaks promptly.
- If you have a pool and it’s not in use, cover it to reduce evaporation.
- Check for pool/spa leaks, making repairs promptly.
Indoors
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- Repair leaking faucets and toilets.
- Install water-saver flush valves in toilets.
- Install water-saver shower heads.
- Shut off faucet while brushing teeth or shaving.
- Use as little water as possible to wash and rinse in a bathtub.
- Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
- Run dishwasher and clothes washer with full loads.
- Recycle dog dish water and aquarium water to irrigate plants.
- Only flush toilet paper down the toilet.
- Use the garbage disposal sparingly.
- When you wash dishes by hand, fill up the sink with water and turn off the faucet.
Saving water doesn’t stop there. OUC offers many money-saving rebates that can help offset the cost of making water efficient improvements to your home that lead to long-term savings.
OUC Incentives That Help You Save
Available rebates for water-saving upgrades include:
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- Installing a Smart Irrigation Controller can qualify you for a rebate of up to $200. This device helps you manage your irrigation schedule from anywhere and reduces water waste.
- Using a Smart Water Monitoring Device allows you to receive a rebate of up to $100. It tracks your home’s water use and provides leak alerts to help detect problems early.
- Adding a Water Cistern can earn you a rebate of $0.02 per gallon, up to $200 total. A cistern stores and reuses rainwater for outdoor watering and helps reduce stormwater runoff.
- Participating in the Florida Water Star℠ Certification Program can provide a rebate of up to $300. This program recognizes homes that conserve water long-term and rewards water‑efficient practices.
If you’re looking for even more ways to save, OUC’s Efficiency Delivered© program helps qualifying customers improve the efficiency of their homes. Register for a free energy and water assessment conducted by an OUC conservation specialist. Participants can receive up to $2,500 in recommended efficiency upgrades installed by licensed contractors, with OUC covering a portion of the cost based on income.
By taking simple steps to use water more efficiently, and taking advantage of OUC’s helpful rebates and programs, you can make a meaningful impact on both your monthly utility costs and our community’s long‑term water sustainability. Every small change adds up, and OUC is here to support you with tools, incentives, and guidance to make saving water easy and affordable.