- Tried this with a couple of projects—submitted receipts and photos to the city.
- Most programs are strict: if the work was done before the official start date, they won’t budge.
- Sometimes you can get a “goodwill” credit, but it’s rare and usually small.
- Honestly, feels like they’re just trying to avoid retroactive payouts.
- Frustrating, but unless the policy changes, it’s tough to get recognized for early upgrades.
Yeah, I’ve run into that too—it’s like, you try to be proactive and upgrade before everyone else, and then you’re basically penalized for it. Kind of backwards if you ask me. Do you think there’s any chance cities will start rewarding early adopters, or are they just set on sticking to the letter of the policy? I mean, it feels like people who invest in water-saving tech ahead of the curve should get some extra credit... or am I missing something?
WHAT IF YOUR CITY PAID YOU TO USE LESS WATER?
Yeah, I get what you mean. It’s like you put in the work and money to upgrade, but when rebates or incentives roll out, it’s only for the folks who waited. Here’s how I see it:
- Early adopters usually get left out—seems like cities want to “fix” the biggest offenders first, not reward the folks already doing it right.
- In my last build, I swapped in low-flow everything before the city program started. When I asked about credits, they said nope, only after the policy date.
- Honestly, it’s a bit backwards. If they want real change, they should retroactively reward people who already invested.
- Sometimes I wonder if it’s just easier for them to stick to the policy and avoid the paperwork.
Anyway, I’ll keep doing what makes sense for my bills, but yeah... would be nice to get a little recognition for being ahead of the game.
WHAT IF YOUR CITY PAID YOU TO USE LESS WATER?
Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing—if you’re ahead of the curve, you kinda miss out on the perks. I get why cities want to target the big water users first, but it does feel like a missed opportunity. Maybe they think it’s too much hassle to go back and track early upgrades? Either way, I’d love to see a system that rewards folks for being proactive, not just reactive. I guess at least our bills are lower, but still... a little credit would be nice.
I’d love to see a system that rewards folks for being proactive, not just reactive.
That’s exactly what I was thinking when I started looking into water-saving stuff for our new place. We put in low-flow everything, and I even convinced my partner to go for the drought-resistant landscaping (which, honestly, looks better than I expected). But now when the city rolls out these rebate programs, it’s like... “Congrats, you already did the right thing. Here’s nothing.” Not that I’m complaining about lower bills, but it does feel a bit backwards.
I get that it’s easier for cities to target the biggest users first, but wouldn’t it make sense to encourage early adopters too? Maybe some kind of retroactive credit or at least a “thanks for making our job easier” note. Or maybe I’m just salty because my neighbor got a fancy new rebate check for finally swapping out his ancient sprinklers. Either way, it’d be nice if being ahead of the curve didn’t mean missing out on all the perks.
