The hot water heater becomes super essential during the cold season. This is because we really need that hot water during these chilly months. And now that the warm spring and summer months are behind us, it’s time to think about that water heater. It’s quite normal to use hot water for bathing and cleaning during the warm seasons. But you can always opt for a cold shower on a hot summer day. The fall and winter seasons are quite chilly and hence you have no choice but to power up that water heater so that you can enjoy a hot bath or shower. This means that the hot water bill increases significantly during the cold fall and winter months. But there are several measures that you can implement to lower your hot water bill during the cold seasons. Use the following tips to reduce your hot water bill this fall and during the upcoming winter season.
Insulate The Tank
The most effective way of lowering your hot water bill is by insulating the tank in your hot water heater. Bearing in mind the fact that the hot water heater is one of the biggest consumers of energy at home, you should do everything you can to reduce its energy intake. If you won a conventional storage water heater, then you know that it has a reservoir or tank for holding the heated water. The bad news is that this tank is susceptible to standby heat loss. In other words, the heated water loses some of its heat when sitting in the tank. In order to minimize this energy loss, you should insulate your tank thoroughly. You can insulate the tank in your water heater without consulting a professional plumber. You just need to follow the instructions in the insulation materiel and everything will be fine.
Shorter Showers
You should consider reducing the number of showers that you take to reduce your water and energy bills. You should also start taking shorter showers top reduce the amount of water used and the energy consumed by your water heater. And while we are still talking about saving water, you should avoid those long baths. Go for shorter showers instead.
Set A Low Temperature
You can save the amount of energy consumed by your hot water heater during the warm and cold seasons by adjusting the temperature to a lower setting. The Department of Energy recommends that you set your water heater at 120 degrees. This temperature is adequate to heat the water sufficiently. It also prevents unnecessary energy consumption and prevents scalding when you shower.
Upgrade To A High Efficiency Model
If you own an old standard tank water heater, then you should consider upgrading to a new high efficiency model. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gives Energy Star certification to high efficiency products like water heaters. These high efficiency models consume a fraction of the energy consumed by older highly inefficient models. You can consult a professional DC water heater plumber regarding an upgrade or replacement of your old water heater. He will offer you various options to choose from in order to achieve maximum energy savings.