Water Heater
- On average, water heating accounts for about 16 percent of your total energy costs. Lowering your water heater's thermostat to 120°F should provide plenty of hot water while avoiding wasted energy.
- Wrap the tank with the proper insulation for maximum efficiency, but be careful not to cover the thermostat.
- If your water heater is more than 7 years old, consider buying a new one - today's models are more energy efficient, and the savings will continue throughout heater's lifetime.
- Drain a quart of water from your water heater every 3 months to remove sediment that can slow down heat transfer and lower the efficiency of your heater.
- Take more showers than baths, and keep the showers short. In the average household, bathing uses up more hot water than any other water-related activity. You use 20 to 25 gallons of water for a bath, but less than 10 gallons during a 5-minute shower.
- Keep your showers short to save hot water - with a regular shower head, just a one- or two-minute reduction can save up to 10 gallons of water. You can also use an energy-efficient showerhead to maximize savings.
- Be sure to place the faucet lever on the kitchen sink in the cold position when using small amounts of water; placing the lever in the hot position uses energy to heat the water even though it never reaches the faucet.
- Repair leaky faucets promptly - a leaky faucet can waste gallons of water in a short time.
- If you heat with electricity and you have an un-shaded, south-facing location (such as a roof) on your property, consider installing a solar water heater - they save energy and are good for the environment.
- New heat pump water heaters use heat from air to heat your water - and they use 30 to 50 percent of the electricity of standard electric resistance water heaters.
- During warmer months, turn you water heater off when you're gone longer than a weekend.
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