Guide · 5 steps · ~2 min

The One-Unit Savings Sprint.

One intelligible goal: remove one billing unit before the cycle closes — and know which change caused it.

Tap a droplet to check off steps

Step 1
Start with the bill, not a tip list

Find your billing unit (often 1 CCF ≈ 748 gallons or 1,000 gallons), current usage, days left, and whether tiers or sewer track volume.

The marginal value of the next gallon depends on your utility’s rules — not a national average.
Decode this bill free
Step 2
Take a two-day baseline

Record daily use from your utility portal (daily/hourly if available) or two meter reads 24 hours apart.

Without a baseline you cannot prove the experiment worked.

Step 3
Run the quiet-house leak screen first

Before habit advice: overnight no-use check + toilet dye tests. If the meter moves with everything off, you are in proof mode — not savings mode.
Meter overnight test
Step 4
Pick one branch for 3–5 days
- Leak if overnight flow is non-zero
- Outdoor if seasonal + irrigation
- Threshold if you are near the next rate tier
- Shower if renters / no yard / indoor-only
- Winter sewer if your utility averages winter use for sewer

Step 5
Compare before vs after in units and $

Convert the daily use drop into gallons, billing units, and an educational $ estimate (water + sewer where volumetric). One move at a time so the plot twist is readable.
Re-check with the analyzer

FAQ

No. It is an educational experiment from your bill, meter, and public EPA/utility guidance. Outcomes depend on rates, sewer rules, and whether the cause is real.

Manual meter reads work. Utilities commonly recommend comparing readings after a no-use period to screen for leaks.

Sources

Start with the bill, not a tip list

Take a two-day baseline

Run the quiet-house leak screen first

Pick one branch for 3–5 days

Compare before vs after in units and $

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