Thursday, September 24, 2009

Eureka!! We just got our water bill

Remember this post where I freaked out when I heard about the new water tax? We were way over the average alloted consumption of water. The new water tax would have a huge impact on our bi-monthly bill.

After instituting several water-saving measures, I've been waiting impatiently for the water bill to arrive. Here in Israel bills don't necessarily arrive at expected times. They kind of appear randomly to the point where I ask neighbors and friends, "Have you heard from the water/electric/gas company lately?" It's really annoying, but my bank account and I just try to go with the flow.

Today, when I arrived home, there was the bill, in all its blue and green glory. You know that feeling you get about a test you know you just aced? That's how I felt about our water bill. And boy did Casa Baila ace this one: the bill was about 30% less than our last bill! This is for the summer months of July and August when water usage is at its highest and when the new water tax was institued.

Here's how we did it:

1. I never do laundry anymore.
2. I never wash dishes anymore.
3. We never flush the toilets anymore.

Just kidding!! Here's how we really did it:

1. In the shower the water runs only for soaping up and rinsing off.
2. Same goes for dishes and teeth brushing. Water only runs when necessary.
3. I'm much more selective about laundry. If it doesn't smell and its not stained, it doesn't get washed. I will not run a load that is not full. Period.
4. Sprinklers and irrigation drip system for the gardern (which is huge by Israeli standards, with lots of trees and plants) have been set up for minimum maintenance. And the grass looks okay and we're about to get a ton of lemons off that tree.

As you can tell, I'm pleased as punch with this development. I'm feeling quite virtuous that I'm doing alot more to save the Kineret, although it did require blackmail by the Israeli Government for me to do so.

If only the electric bill (with all that air conditioning) would look so good.

9 comments:

Fern Chasida said...

inspiring! הלוואי עלי

doesn't your water bill come with your arnona bill?

Leora said...

Good job!
I'm much more selective about laundry. If it doesn't smell and its not stained, it doesn't get washed. I will not run a load that is not full. Period.
My son likes this one (as he had to carry a large load of laundry downstairs that was probably mostly my clothes and my daughter's clothes). :-)

Anonymous said...

How bout some lemonade?

nw

Anonymous said...

now if we could only reduce our american express bill by 30%.
good job Baila!
sz

Gila Rose said...

kol hakavod baila! for now we're getting by bc i treat the kids like laundry - if they're not stained and smelly, they don't get bathed. but i'm thinking that's going to change when they're teenagers. so thanks for the tips!

Gila said...

Go you!

ICEMAN said...

Fern,

Thanks. No our water and arnona come separate.

Leora,

I was washing clean clothes! Literally. My kids wouldn't bother to put clean laundry away and then it would get mixed up with the real laundry.

NW,

Lemonade? But that would require water! ;-)

SZ,

Maybe try leaving home without it?

Gila Rose,

Nice one!

Gila,

Thanks!

OneTiredEma said...

Kol hakavod!

I don't want to think about the electric bill. My husband and I have a wee bit of difference of opinion re: a/c during the day (I can do without, mostly, or put in on for short spurts), but he'd gladly run it 24/7 until it rains again.

Anonymous said...

Running the shower water only during soaping and rinsing? I do that too. Let's see if that's still the case in the middle of winter!