Expert shares the simple household fix that could wind up saving you big on utility bills: 'It can start adding up'

Mar 01, 2025

We all know this annoying sound.

Photo Credit: Depositphotos.com

A leaking faucet could be costing you more money than you realize. Here's why you should fix a leaking tap as soon as possible.

We all know how annoying the sound of a leaky faucet can be, especially when trying to sleep. While it might otherwise seem minor, that dripping tap could also be adding a lot of money to your water bill.

Plumber and TikToker Stuart's Plumbing (@stuartsplumbing) has created an informative video that explains why fixing that drip is important for your wallet.

The plumber explains that while it might not seem like much, the leaking water is building up over days, weeks, and months to send your water bill sky-high.

"It can start adding up to thousands of gallons a month," Stuart's Plumbing explained.

Most dripping faucets can be fixed by checking faucet washers and gaskets for wear and replacing them. Don't forget to check your shower heads and toilets too. If you're unsure if you have a leak, one easy way to know is to check your water meter before and after a period when there has been no water use at home. If the meter reading has changed, then you likely have a leak.

According to the EPA, a dripping faucet can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water a year, which is equivalent to the amount of water needed to take more than 180 showers. Fixing a leaking tap would help drive down your water usage and save you money on your bill. Fixing household leaks could help people save up to 10% on their water bill, per the EPA.

Fixing leaks also helps conserve water and energy. Reducing our water usage helps to keep more water in the rivers, bays, and estuaries, which helps support a healthy environment. Additionally, it reduces the amount of energy used to treat, pump, and heat water and also keeps water and wastewater treatment costs down. Reducing energy demand is also great for the environment because it means less air pollution.

Other ways to lower those household water bills and conserve water include turning off the tap while you brush your teeth, taking shorter showers, and replacing your grass lawn with a natural lawn or native plants.

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Conserving water and saving everyone money is so important that the EPA has dedicated a week every year to it called Fix a Leak Week, which takes place in March.

"Household leaks can waste nearly 1 trillion gallons of water annually nationwide, so each year we hunt down the drips during Fix a Leak Week," wrote the EPA on its website.

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