10 Ways to Cut your Hot Water Energy Bill

Hot water may not be an official necessity, but it’s a modern convenience that is pretty hard to live without. If you enjoy warm showers, clean dishes, and white laundry loads, hot water is important. Your water heater is probably what uses up a significant portion of your home energy after your furnace, especially during the winter. Whether you have an electric or gas water heater, there are ways you cut your hot water energy bill back a little bit or even a lot, depending on how far you’re willing to go toward conservation. Carolina Fuels, a reliable company offering air conditioning and furnace repair in Eden as well as delivery of many types of heating fuels, suggests these 10 ways to cut your hot water energy bill.

• • Take shorter, cooler showers. This one is hard, because a hot shower is such a luxury, especially when it’s cold outside. By shortening the length and temperature of your showers you can help your water heater use less energy. And besides saving energy, there are other reasons a shorter, cooler shower is beneficial. It’s also better for combating dry skin that so often plagues us during dry, cold winters. It also helps to prevent dry scalp issues that can lead to dandruff.
  • Replace shower heads and faucets with low flow models. A low flow shower head reduces the amount of water used during each shower. Low flow faucets can conserve a lot of water too in the kitchen and bathrooms.  
  • Do most of your laundry in cold water. When it comes to your multi-color loads, there’s really no advantage to using hot water and it could cause your colors to run. When it comes to white loads, if you use bleach, wash in hot water but rinse in cold to save some energy.
  • Set your water heater to a lower temperature. Aim for around 120 degrees and your water heater will save a lot of energy it would normally expend to heat the water to a higher temperature and preserve that temperature in the holding tank.
  • Run your dishwasher less often. Wait until you have a full load of dishes before running your dishwasher.
  • Fix leaky plumbing. Letting a faucet drip can waste an amazing amount of water, and sometimes it’s the hot water that’s leaking, meaning your hot water heater is working overtime.
  • Add insulation to your water heater. Water heater insulation can be purchased and applied on your own, but make sure you follow the directions to avoid problems. Consider having a professional apply the insulation.
  • Get a new water heater. Upgrading to a new energy-efficient water heater will save you a lot in energy costs. Especially if you purchase an on-demand or tankless water heater.
  • Get a new dishwasher. An older dishwasher will use much more water than a newer one will. Newer dishwashers also have more advanced heating elements so that it self-heats and doesn’t require as much hot water.
  • Get a new washing machine. A high-efficiency washing machine will also use less hot water when you do need to run a warm water load. 

Call Carolina Fuels for Water Heater and Furnace Repair in Eden

If you need a professional to evaluate your water heater’s condition and energy usage, Carolina Fuels can help. In addition to furnace repair in Eden, Carolina Fuels provides a wide range of energy audit services. If you currently have an electric water heater, you may find that you can save the most money by switching to a propane water heater. Call Carolina Fuels to find out how you can save energy today: (336) 623-9741.