WECalc: An Online Tool to Help You Save Water at Home

You can save water at home—and save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and save money in the process! WECalc, the Pacific Institute's Water-Energy-Climate Calculator, asks you a series of questions about your home water use habits, and based on your replies, estimates your water use and provides personalized recommendations for reducing it. WECalc also estimates your water-related energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions and shows you how much you can save -- and how to do it.

Saving water saves energy because capturing, transporting, treating, and using water is highly energy-intensive. And energy use releases greenhouse gases to the atmosphere; use less water, emit less greenhouse gas. A Pacific Institute report on water conservation and efficiency found that implementing widely available, cost-effective technologies and practices could reduce California’s current urban water use by a third, and the California Energy Commission concluded that water conservation and efficiency improvements could produce 95% of the energy savings as traditional energy-efficiency programs at 55% of the cost. You can save money while you save water.

And while the above report focuses on water issues in California, the WECalc online tool is free and available to use for anyone who lives in the US.

Find out how much water and energy you use at home, for showers, clothes washers, dishwashers, faucets, lawns, and more. Because the bottom line is that saving water saves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. How much can you save, and how much will it cost? Get started on WECalc and find out!