Last updated on March 28th, 2024 at 12:28 am
Energy bills are increasingly concerning to many people across the globe. Thanks to the Russian invasion of Ukraine the price of oil has shot up and the average Australian energy bill of $1645, is going to get much larger. The best approach to deal with this is to look at ways of reducing the cost of your energy. To do this you need to target the biggest drain on energy, that is your hot water heater.
Here’s what you can do to reduce your hot water heater’s energy consumption.
Table of Contents
Have Your Heater Serviced
Ideally, you should have your hot water servicing done every year. Servicing identifies issues with the heater and helps you to be ready financially for resolving them. During the service the water heater will also be flushed, removing the build-up of debris inside the heater; this contributes to the likelihood of leaks and heater failure. Removing the debris helps the heater to function more efficiently, saving you energy when using it.
Consider When To Turn It On
If you have signed up for the low rate overnight tariff then you’ve also found the perfect time to put your water heater on. Running the water heater overnight won’t strictly make it use less energy. But, nighttime rates are cheaper, meaning that you’ll be saving money on your energy usage.
Add Insulation
Water heaters tend to come with a large amount of insulation around them. This helps to slow the cooling process, reducing the amount of energy being used to keep the water hot. You can add additional insulation around your water heater but this is unlikely to have much of an effect.
However, insulating all the pipes going to and from your water heater will help the hot water to stay hot even when it’s in the pipe. That reduces the amount of water you need to draw when opening the faucet and saves you energy.
Lower The Temperature
If your water heater has a thermostat consider lowering the temperature by a degree or two. You probably won’t notice the difference when using the hot water. However, you will notice the difference in your energy consumption and the reduction in your energy bill.
The same trick can be done to your heating system to save energy and money at home.
Consider Going Tankless
Tankless water heaters tend to be more expensive to purchase than a standard water heater with a large tank. However, they will save you money in energy consumption as the heater doesn’t waste energy heating the water and storing it. Instead, it produces hot water as needed. That means you’re only using enough energy to heat the water once, potentially saving you a large amount on your energy bill.
Check Your Showerheads
An inefficient showerhead will use more water. Change the showerhead and add an aerator. The rate of flow will feel the same but you’ll be using less water and less energy.
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