6 Ways to Lower Your Hot Water Energy Consumption

If you are looking for ways to reduce your hot water energy use, the first thing you might consider is lowering your heater’s set point, especially for a tanked water heater. After all, your tank stores hot water that stays unused for most of the day, right? Unfortunately, you cannot lower this temperature too much, or you increase the risk of legionella and other nasty germs growing in your heater. Here are 6 ways to lower your hot water energy consumption.

Shorter showers

The most basic way to use less energy for hot water is to use less water overall. Most people have longer showers than necessary, and even a small reduction in running water time will save you money in the long run.

Turn off water

Speaking of reducing the amount of time for running water, the old water-saving advice of turning off the faucet while soaping your hands and brushing your teeth apply here. You will save on two bills: water consumption and energy.

Lower temperature of water at faucets

You might not be able to set your tank temperature too low, but you can certainly control the temperature of the water coming out of your shower and faucets. You don’t have to have cold showers to save. A slightly cooler temperature is enough to reduce your hot water energy consumption.

Use your dishwasher

Reap the benefits of germ-killing and grease removing heat without the consumption. Dishwashers use less water per full load than continuous running water to do the same amount by hand. Just be sure to fill up the dishwasher to reap the benefits. If you don’t have a dishwasher, fill your sink with soapy water and get those dishes done without excessive amounts of hot water pouring down the drain.

Wash clothes in cold water

With the right detergents, you can get clean clothes while using little to no hot water. Some items need to be washed in hot water, but for everything else, use cold water and see your energy bill go down.

Install a high-efficiency water heater

Most of the ways mentioned here are related to your everyday habits. However, switching to a high-efficiency water heater will help you even more. Maintain your water heater to ensure maximum efficiency or consider a full upgrade altogether.

We know these 6 ways to lower your hot water energy consumption will come in handy and save you money. If you need to discuss your options for saving water heater energy, give us a call at (801) 224-8899, and we can help you. Learn more about saving energy on our website at www.WesternHeatingAir.com.