Easy Ways to Reduce the Amount of Hot Water You Use
- Written by Samantha Ball
Next to heating and cooling your home, hot water is the next big expense you’ll find on your energy bill, accounting for up to 25% of your home’s overall electricity usage.
If you’re looking to save on that energy, there are several things you can do, including choosing among the newer and different hot water systems available on the market today.
Since a new hot water system may be a little out of your reach, you can also try one or more of the following tips:
Update Your Appliances
Energy-efficient home appliances are quite costly, but they can save you a lot of money in the long run as they’re designed to conserve energy—which saves you money in the long run.
When searching for new appliances, you can compare the different models by their energy rating labels and lifetime running costs. (Hint: the more stars on the label, the more energy-efficient the appliance).
Use Cold Water
Cold showers may not be ideal when it’s chilly out, but you can still use cold water when you wash your clothes. It cleans just as well while conserving energy, plus there are plenty of detergents on the market designed to work with cold water so your clothing and linens come out just as clean.
Adjust Your Thermostat
Make sure that your water heater’s thermostat is set to 60℃ (65℃ max). Any warmer and you run the risk of allowing your hot water system to work overtime just to heat more water than you actually need to use.
Get a More Efficient Shower Head
If you don’t like cold showers, there are two things you can do: Cut your shower time in half or install a low-flow showerhead.
Low-flow showerheads disperse less water per minute, which allows you to use less water even if you don’t cut your shower time in half.
Turn Your Hot Water Off
Going on holiday? Give your hot water some time off too by shutting it off while you’re gone. After all, there’s no point in paying to keep your water hot if you’re not going to use it.
Just make sure you give your system enough time to heat up when you turn it back on to protect your house and family from Legionella—and unexpected cold water!
Maintain Your Hot Water System
Don’t forget to have your hot water system serviced regularly. Sometimes even the smallest issue can cost you a lot in efficiency and energy. Ignoring hot water systems can also lead to some rather costly repairs that could have been avoided.
Start Reducing Your Hot Water Usage Today
There are loads of effective tips and tricks you can use to reduce your water usage and lower your energy bill starting today. By using this list to get started, you’ll start saving right away.
If you’re in the market for an upgrade, we can help you choose among the different hot water systems out there or maintain the one you already have.
