Fourteen percent of the total energy expense of the average house is for hot water heating. Saving money is easy when you learn how this energy is used.
Energy consumption is divided into three categories or heat use: heat efficiency, standby loss, and hot water consumption. Different conservation efforts are used to reduce each of these uses.
Heating efficiency is how well your water heater converts energy, like electricity, into hot water. The next time that you are replacing your water heater be sure to read the yellow EnergyGuide label that will be attached to the unit. Compare the Energy Factor (EF) used to rate hot water heaters. Find the highest EF rated water heater available to make sure you are getting the most efficient unit. If you can find an ENERGY STAR rate water heater you’ll get the most efficient models available.
Standby losses include the heat lost through the wall of your water heater tank. The best defense against this standby loss is making sure that the tank is heavily insulated. Newer water heaters with high EF ratings will have the best built in tank insulation available. If your existing water heater is more that a few years old you can add insulation to the tank by installing an external water heater blanket.
Hot water consumption is the water used at the faucets. Every gallon of hot water that is used is replaced by one gallon of cold water in your water heater, and this water must be heated. Reducing your water consumption will reduce the amount of energy needed for your water heater.
Listed below are some tips for lowering your water heater’s energy usage.
- Install low-flow shower heads. You can use 5 to 10 gallons less of hot water per shower.
- Turn the water heater thermostat down to a lower setting. If you have an electric water heater with two heating elements make sure that each of them are set the same or one of the elements will have to work harder leading to premature failure.
- Insulate your hot water tank, but be careful not to cover the tank's thermostat.
- Insulate the first ten feet of hot and cold water pipes from your water heater.
- Take more showers than baths. Baths use 15 to 25 gallons of hot water, whereas a 5 minute shower will use around 12 gallons, even less if you use a low-flow water saving shower head.
- Drain a quart of water from your hot water tank every three months to remove sediment that prevents heat transfer and lowers the unit’s efficiency.
- Repair leaky faucets. A leak of one drip per second can cost $1 per month in energy, not counting the cost of the water.
- Wash clothes and dishes only when you have full loads.
- Wash clothes in cold water with the new cold water soaps that are available. This can save up to 10 gallons of hot water that would be used in a hot water wash.
