Water heating bills can push up the utility cost of a household, especially during the cold months of winter. It is essential that every household member is aware of how to cut up on unnecessary water heater usage to avoid energy wastage.
The United States Department of Energy says the chunk that the water heater occupies in the utility consumption of a household accounts for more than ten percent and is next to the heating and air conditioning consumption. Knowing how to tame water heating bills, even without upgrading into a new heater will be beneficial in terms of saving on energy bills.
The Department of Energy has shared in its website several ways households can lower their water heating bill. Foremost in their list of tips is to take short showers.
“Take short showers instead of baths. Of course, your savings here depends on your and your family’s habits. A long, hot shower may use a lot more hot water than a bath where the tub isn’t filled to the brim. But even a bath with only a few inches of water can use a heck of a lot of water if you have one of those HUGE jetted bathtubs! A warm bath is a nice luxury, but for daily bathing stick with a short shower. And if you can stand it, you might even try turning off the water while soaping up, shampooing, or shaving!”
The rest of the list can be found here.
Save up on Water Heating Bills
Home improvement website House Logic has also shared several ways to keep water heating bills in check. One of their suggestions is to turn down the thermostat.
“For every 10 degrees you turn it down, ‘you’ll save 3% to 5% on your bill. Most water heaters come preset at 140 degrees, which has the added risk of scalding. The Energy Department recommends most households lower it to 120 degrees. ‘That’s high enough for your needs and high enough to reduce mineral buildup in your tank and pipes.”
Take a look at the original write-up to see the rest of the suggestions here.
Personal finance and budget savings website Wisebread.com also mentioned how households could have lower water heater bills. Apart from shorter showers and lowered temperature, the Wisebread article also suggested insulation as a way to reduce water heating costs.
“Adding insulation is inexpensive and can reduce standby heat losses by 25%-45%, saving you 4%-9% in water heating costs. Check to see if your heater has a R-value of at least 24 (if your water heater is less than ten years old, ‘it’s likely ‘it’s already optimally insulated). You can also do a touch test – if ‘it’s warm to the touch, it needs additional insulation.”
The rest of the explanation can be found here.
Lowering water heating costs can help in keeping the budget in check.
Here’s a video on how to reduce water heating costs.
Core Plumbing
9921 Carmel Mountain Rd #600 San Diego, CA 92129
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https://coreplumbingsd.com/