Articles / Lower Your Hot Water Bills!

Install aerators in faucets and low-flow shower heads that may reduce your hot water consumption by half. Repair leaky faucets and shower heads. A leak of one drip per second can cost $1 per month. Insulate your hot water storage tank and pipes, but be careful not to cover the tank thermostat(s).

1.    Lower the thermostat(s) on your water heater to 120°F. Electric water heaters often have two thermostats- one each for the upper and lower heating elements. These should be adjusted to the same level to prevent one element from doing all the work and wearing out prematurely.

2.    For electric water heaters, install a timer that can automatically turn the hot water off at night and on in the morning. A simple timer can pay for itself in less than a year. Install a heat trap above the water heater. A heat trap is a simple check valve or piping arrangement that prevents "thermosyphoning"- the tendency of hot water to rise up from the tank into the pipes thereby lowering standby losses.

3.    Drain a quart of water from your hot water tank every 3 months to remove sediment that prevents heat transfer and lowers the unit's efficiency.

Take more showers than baths. Baths use the most hot water in an average household. You use 15 to 25 gallons of hot water for a bath and less than 10 gallons for a 5-minute shower.