I’ve wondered about this too—feels like the folks who went all-in on efficiency from the jump get left out in the cold. Is it really that hard for cities to set a fair baseline? I mean, if they can figure out property taxes based on square footage and year built, why not water incentives? Maybe I’m missing something, but it seems like the tech is there. I’ve never tried appealing a program, but I’d be curious if anyone’s actually gotten somewhere with that... bureaucracy isn’t exactly known for being flexible.
I hear you on the baseline thing—it’s always bugged me that the folks who already did the work to cut back get kinda penalized. Like, if you swapped out all your toilets and put in drought-tolerant landscaping years ago, there’s not much “extra” to save, right? Meanwhile, someone with a leaky old system can just fix it and suddenly they’re a water-saving hero.
I tried to ask about this when my city rolled out their rebate program last year. The person I talked to at the water department was nice enough but basically said their hands were tied by how the program was set up. They use your last couple years’ usage as a baseline, so if you’ve always been low, there’s not much incentive left for you. Kinda feels backwards.
I do think the tech is there—smart meters and all that—but maybe it’s just easier for them to do a one-size-fits-all thing. Bureaucracy moves slow... but I’d love to see them reward early adopters somehow. Maybe even retroactively? Not holding my breath though.
WHAT IF YOUR CITY PAID YOU TO USE LESS WATER?
That’s always bugged me too—early adopters get left out in the cold. It’s like being punished for thinking ahead. I get that it’s easier for cities to use a simple baseline, but it really doesn’t reward people who made those investments years ago. I wonder if there’s a way to recognize “lifetime” savings, not just year-over-year drops. Maybe some kind of certification or even a tiered rebate for folks who’ve consistently stayed below average? Feels like the tech is there, but the willpower isn’t quite catching up yet...
I wonder if there’s a way to recognize “lifetime” savings, not just year-over-year drops. Maybe some kind of certification or even a tiered rebate for folks who’ve consistently stayed below average?
That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking about since moving into my new place. When we built our house, we went all-in on low-flow everything—showers, toilets, even the landscaping is drought-tolerant. Our water usage has always been super low, so when the city rolled out their “use less, get paid” pilot, we barely qualified for anything. It felt a bit backwards, honestly.
I get why they use a baseline, but it really does seem to leave out people who already made the effort. Has anyone seen a city or utility actually track “lifetime” usage or reward folks who start low and stay low? I’m curious if there’s a way to factor in the age of your home or when you made upgrades, kind of like energy efficiency credits for older houses. Or maybe some way to compare you to similar homes instead of just your own past use? Not sure if that would be fairer, but it seems like a step in the right direction...
It felt a bit backwards, honestly.
That’s been my gripe too. When we remodeled, we swapped out every old fixture, even dug up the yard for drip lines. Now our usage is low, but the city’s program just skips us. I wonder if there’s a way to “grandfather in” upgrades—like, if you can prove you retrofitted before the program started, maybe you get a different kind of credit? Has anyone tried submitting before-and-after records or receipts to their utility? Curious if that ever actually works or if it’s just wishful thinking...
