Reduce Utility Bills – Water Heater Tips

According to the U.S. department of Energy, heating your homes water is the 3rd highest utility bill expense in your home (accounting for about 13% of your utility bill on average). The four main ways to reduce your water heating utility bills are as follows:

• Simply Use Less Hot Water
  There are more ways to do this than just taking shorter showers and substituting frequent baths for showers. Also consider installing aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads and always repair leaky faucets promptly which shortly may cause a major waste in water.

• Turn Down the Thermostat on Your Hot Water Heater
  My shower often got much hotter than it needed to be. I played around with the settings on our hot water heater to a level that will get hot anough for a shower and cleaning but not scorching hot. There is no need for that and can become dangerous anyhow. The factory default temperature setting is often much hotter than it needs to be.

• Insulate Your Hot Water Heater, Storage Tank, and Water Pipes
  Insulate your electric hot-water storage tank, but do not to cover the thermostat. You can also insulate your natural gas storage tank, but do not to cover the heater’s top, bottom, thermostat, or burner compartment. Whatever the type of water heater you have, always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. Also insulate the first 6 feet of the hot and cold water pipes connected to the water heater. Lastly consider having heat traps installed (some newer heaters may already have them).

“…installing a timer that can automatically turn the heater off at night & on in the morning. At a $30 selling price & a do-it-yourself installation, a simple timer may pay for itself in energy saved in about one year. More expensive, multi-setting timers are also available. Timers for gas water heaters are not as useful or cost effective as those designed for electric water heaters. This is because the pilot light supplies some heat during the night, offsetting some of the energy savings achieved by using the timer.

If heat traps were not initially installed w/ your water heater, adding them is another way of reducing water heating energy loss. Heat traps, or one-way valves, allow water to flow into the tank & prevent unwanted hot water flow out of the tank. Heat traps cost about $30, but they may require professional installation, which could be expensive. However, if installed at the same time as a new water heater, heat traps are much more cost effective. Most new water heater models have factory-installed traps, saving you the time & expense of installing one yourself.” Source Friendly Plummer

• • Buy a New, More Efficient Water Heater.
    If you are in the market for a new dishwasher or clothes washer, consider buying an efficient, water-saving ENERGY STAR model to reduce hot water use. If you are not in the market to buy a new hot water heater, consider draining a quart of water from your hot water tank every three months to remove sediment that slows heat transfer and lowers the efficiency. As always, follow the manufacturer’s advice.

Do you have more hot water heater tips to help reduce utility bills? Let us know!

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