Green Products: The Water-Saving ShowerSaver

It’s winter and it’s bone cold, so a long, hot shower has become one of my greatest green sins. I know I need to step it back a bit but after a day of sledding or skiing with my daughter, it’s easy to let the time slip away in the shower—and let the hot water wash my chill away.

Enter the innovative ShowerSaver, a simple, small yet effective device that tracks your water usage in the shower, letting you know how long you’ve been showering—and how many gallons of the good stuff you’ve used. Definitely an accessory I need in my shower stall these days.

The ShowerSaver was created by Green Starts Here, a company who’s mission is to “design, build, and market innovative green products that empower and inspire individuals to live a more sustainable lifestyle.”

The unique ShowerSaver’s infra-red light senses when the shower turns on and the water starts to flow—and it provides tracking details on an easy-to-read screen. It’s a snap to install; simply seal the aluminum cradle to your shower’s wall (let the sealant dry for one hour) and you’re off and showering. And, while the water-resistant ShowerSaver does help you manage your own water usage, this device is also highly polite. No flashing lights, alarms, or water shutoff when usage hits the red zone; it’s up to you to turn off the water and help save the planet—and assist in lowering your own water bills.

“The average American uses 25 gallons a day from the shower alone,” says Kevin Meyers, who started Green Starts Here and brainstormed the ShowerSaver after seven years in international banking. “If we could help people shave just one minute off their shower every day, it would save up to 2,000 gallons of water and 200 pounds of carbon emissions over the course of a year. Not only does this save the planet, but altogether it could save up to $40 per person in water and energy costs. That’s a lot of savings.”

The ShowerSaver is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter; for a $60 investment in Green Starts Here, you’ll receive a ShowerSaver from the first production run plus a listing as a founding member on GreenStartsHere.com. ShowerSaver is well on its way to realizing its Kickstarter goal; in the meantime, the Psychology Deparment at the University of Delaware found the design—and function—of the ShowerSaver so compelling that it is currently condusting a full academic study of this green product.

While Meyers’ goal with the ShowerSaver is to help people shave earth-saving time off their daily shower, he understands that to err is simply human—we all enjoy a long, hot shower once in a while. “One day, my mind was wandering while I was taking a shower,” says Meyers. “Suddenly, it dawned on me that I had been in the shower way too long. But how long? I had no idea. It bothered me that I could be so thoughtless when so many people in the world don’t even have access to clean drinking water. It wasn’t ill intention on my part, just a total lack of awareness.”

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Erinn Morgan

About

After a 10-year career as an award-winning New York City-based editor launching and redesigning urban, style-driven magazines, Erinn Morgan left downtown Manhattan after September 11th, 2001, in search of a less encumbered, freelance lifestyle. A two-year-long trek around the country eventually landed her in Durango, Colo., which she now calls home.

Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, Outside, National Geographic Adventure, Bike, Skiing, Delicious Living, American Cowboy, and on away.com.

Erinn is also the author of the eco-focused book, Picture Yourself Going Green, Step-by-Step Instruction for Living a Budget-Conscious, Earth-Friendly Lifestyle in Eight Weeks or Less.

She was previously the editor-in-chief of 20/20 magazine, a special projects editor at Playboy (overseeing the launch of a new, custom magazine), and the founding editor/editor-in-chief of SoHo Style, a much-lauded, avant-garde magazine that covered the culture and style of downtown New York and its reach around the world.

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