By understanding how your home uses water, you can more easily identify ways to save money on your water and energy bills, ensure that your health is not negatively impacted by your water use, and create a home that is resilient during extreme weather conditions.
In 2016, the Water Research Foundation’s Residential End Uses of Water report showed that the average home in the United States (US) used almost 50,000 gallons of water per year for indoor use alone. The report showed that 33% of indoor water use is hot water.
Using the EPA’s average cost of residential water and the EIA’s average cost of heating water, the average US home spends about $1,270 on water and water heating costs each year.
Home energy experts at Scope Zero estimate that the average US household could cut their water bills by almost 50% by upgrading to water-efficient home technology. This includes low-flow showerheads, sink faucets, and toilets, and efficient washing machines and dishwashers. The water bill savings could be even higher if the occupants of your home incorporate wise water consumption habits.
But every home is unique in how it consumes water, so it can be difficult to have a one-size-fits-all playbook for upgrading your home technology. Home water consumption is based on several factors that can vary wildly across homes. Some of these factors include home characteristics, occupancy, behavior, and climate. This is why it's important to understand how your specific home uses water so that you can then identify the most personalized cost-effective home technology upgrades and behavior changes that can reduce the cost of your water usage.
Reducing your water usage does not mean you need to sacrifice comfort or convenience. In fact, upgrading to high-performance water-efficient home technology can often reduce your cost of living while improving your health, safety, and comfort inside your home.
How water moves through a home affects drinking water quality, hygiene, indoor air quality, and safety. Aging pipes, inefficient fixtures, and hidden leaks can introduce contaminants, encourage bacterial growth, and increase moisture that leads to mold. Poorly maintained hot water systems can also raise the risk of scalding or harmful bacteria.
Understanding how your home uses water helps you identify upgrades and maintenance actions that protect health, reduce damage risk, and ensure reliable access to clean, safe water, especially during extreme weather or disruptions.
Freshwater is a finite resource, and in many regions it is becoming harder, more expensive, and more energy-intensive to supply. The increased frequency of droughts, heat waves, floods, and extreme storms disrupt how water is collected, treated, and delivered to homes. At the same time, aging infrastructure and growing populations are placing additional strain on local water systems.
Reducing water consumption at home helps ease pressure on these shared systems. When households use less water, it reduces demand on water treatment plants, pumping stations, and energy-intensive infrastructure, making communities more resilient during shortages and emergencies. Understanding and managing home water use is not just a cost-saving measure; it is a practical way to strengthen reliability and preparedness in the face of a less predictable water future.