Water Conservation at the City of San Bruno

Rebate for Purchase of a Water-Efficient Washing Machine
San Bruno is participating in a Bay Area regional program that provides rebates of for the purchase of water-efficient washing machines.

The average family does about 392 loads of laundry per year, using about 18,000 gallons of water. Replacing your old clothes washer with a new high-efficiency model can save water -- lots of water. Clothes washing is typically the second largest user of water indoors, after toilet flushing.

A recent study conducted in Seattle measured water use in single-family homes before and after the installation of high-efficiency clothes washers. Three different makes and models of clothes washer were tested and all three saved water and received high satisfaction ratings from the study participants. Most major manufacturers now offer at least one high-efficiency model.

High-efficiency clothes washers also save energy in three important ways:

More efficient motors than old machines
Reduced hot water usage
Reduced moisture content of clean clothes requiring less drying time

About 90% of the energy used by clothes washers is for heating the water used to wash the clothes. Only about 10 percent or less of the energy is used by the electric motor that runs the clothes washer. So, the best way to improve the efficiency of a clothes washer is to reduce the amount of water, particularly hot water, that is needed to wash the clothes. Because of these energy savings, high-efficiency washers may be eligible for rebates from PG&E as well. For more information on energy rebates, call the PG&E Smarter Energy Line at 1-800-933-9555 or click here.

Information on washing machine rebates should be available at Bay Area appliance dealers; if you have any questions, call San Bruno Public Works at (650) 616-7068. You can also apply online; click here.

Limited Time Offer!
The City of San Bruno provides a 75-dollar rebate for the purchase of water-efficient washing machines. But now, from April 1 through June 30, you can also receive an additional manufacturer's rebate of up to 50 dollars. Click here to view the program flyer.