A good shower can be taken without using much water. The cost of heating water is a major household energy cost, especially for those who luxuriate in long hot showers or wallowing in a tub loaded to the gunwales with hot water.
Here is the way to get clean and save energy and $$$. First, buy a cheap little valve that goes behind the shower head and that allows you to regulate the force of the stream without fooling with the faucets (once they are set to delive water at the temperature you need). Then turn on the water, but not full blast, and wet your whole self dwon. Then turn it OFF and soap up. When you are soaped up good, turn the water back on and rinse off. This is what is called a "Navy shower," because in the Navy, fresh water is not as abundant on ships at sea as it is on land and sailors must cooperate to conserve it. I find I can shower effectively in about 5 gallons of water this way, only part of which is hot water. It helps keep utility bills down and deprives me of essentially nothing, since I am not one of those people who bathes or showers for recreational purposes, as some do. Try it and see what it does to your utility bills. Of course, you might have to do some strong persuasion on those teenagers or other kids in your household who care little or nothing about energy conservation. SECOND TIP: when rinsing dishes under the kitchen faucet, do NOT just automatically turn the hot water on high volume. It takes only enough water to fully cover the surface of the plate, bowl, etc. as you wipe it down. Women in particular seem to know only one way to open a tap--full blast! Rinse sensibly; don't use a torrent to do what a gentle stream will do. I require a 5% percent commission for any savings you achieve through this advice.
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