Water Heater

You may be surprised to learn that the water heater is a large user of energy in most homes. In fact, the average household spends about $15 per month to heat water. And larger families spend even more.  However, there are a number of things you can do to conserve energy and trim your water heating costs.

• Use less hot water. Using less water provides your biggest opportunity for savings

• Install water-conserving showerheads and faucet aerators.  They are simple to install and pay for themselves in a few months. Just replacing your showerhead with a water-efficient model can cut your hot water use in half and save you up to $50 a year.

• Repair leaky faucets immediately. Even a small drip can cost you $25 or more a year.  To determine if your showerhead is water-efficient, try this simple test.

• Wash only full loads in your washer, using cold water whenever possible.  90% of the energy used to wash clothes is from heating the water.

• Adjust the water level on your washing machine to match the load size, especially when using hot water.

• Avoid pre-rinsing dishes before putting in dishwasher; use your rinse cycle instead. It can save up to $70 a year.

• Run your dishwasher instead of hand washing; it uses a third less water.

• Wash only full loads in your dishwasher.

• Use the energy-saving cycle; it shortens the run time and saves gallons of water.

• Adjust the temperature on your water heater* Lower the hot water thermostat to 120° to save energy and reduce the risk of scalding.

Yearly savings by lowering your water heater's thermostat from 140º to 120º
Small: 20 - 30 gallons	$7
Medium: 31 - 50 gallons	$10
Large: 51 - 80 gallons	$12

*Safety Quick Tip: Before you adjust the thermostat, unplug the water heater or turn it off at the circuit breaker.

• Know when to turn off your water heater. Only turn it off when you will be away for an extended period of time (i.e., a few days or longer).  Using a timer or turning off the water heater between daily uses only saves about $2 per month

• Consider buying a new water heating system.  The average life of a standard electric water heater is about 10 years. If you're in the market for a new one, here are some things to consider when shopping around:

  • Efficiency - Higher-efficiency water heaters may cost more, but actually save you money over time because they use less electricity to operate.
  • Size – Assess your family’s present and future hot water needs and purchase a water heater to match your family’s size based on this chart:

• Comparison – Review the Energy Guide labels on the units you're considering to compare operating costs and energy efficiencies
• Consider alternatives to the standard electric water heater. There are alternatives to the standard electric water heater, including:

• Solar Water Heating Systems - uses the sun's energy to heat your water.
• Heat Recovery Units - recycles waste heat from your central A/C so your water heater does not use as much energy to heat water, however, it will only produce hot water on days when your A/C is being used.

These devices may save you money if you have a large family, but they also have a much longer payback period. For example, the average cost of a heat recovery unit is about $600 with a savings of $35 per year for a four-person household, making the payback period 15 years or more.