Instead of running the bathroom faucet until the water becomes hot enough to shave, consider this alternative: Fill a glass measuring cup with water and zap it in the micr... read full tip

Instead of running the bathroom faucet until the water becomes hot enough to shave, consider this alternative: Fill a glass measuring cup with water and zap it in the microwave for a minute or so. Then, use this hot water to rinse your razor while you shave. You'll likely save between 2 and 10 gallons of hot water per shave, depending on your faucet-use habits. Taking into account the cost of the water as well as the cost to heat the water, this could mean a utility bill savings of up to $50 per year-more than twice as much as the average U.S. male spends on shaving supplies annually.

On the other hand, the cost of running a microwave for two minutes a day is a little over a buck per year.

If all of the 68 million men in the U.S. who shave with a blade and razor saved 1 gallon of hot water per shave, the annual savings across the country would be nearly 19.6 billion gallons of water, and roughly $300 million in utility costs-enough to buy 176,000 Energy-Star-qualified flat screen TVs.

California Urban Water Conservation Council