Saving Energy on your Home’s Hot Water Needs

Did you know that approximately fifteen percent of your electricity or gas bill goes toward heating the water in your water heater? There are some simple things that you can do to use less water, heat less water, and cut down on your overall gas or electricity bill.

Think about your hot-water uses: showers or baths, washing hands, cleaning dishes, washing clothes, and more.
Doing a few small and simple things can help you save some cash each month.

One way to decrease the amount of water you use it to check for leaky faucets. Taking a few minutes to check for leaky faucets is step one.

Step two is maximize your use of hot water. Cut down on the number of dishwasher and washing machine loads by filling up your dishwasher with dishes and washing machine with clothes.

Step three is to minimize your use of hot water. Take showers instead of baths; cut down on your shower time; use minimal amounts of water to hand-wash dishes, brush teeth, and wash hands (turn the water off when you’re not using it.).
Step four is making sure you are using cost-cutting low-show showerheads.

Step five: Use cold water (whenever possible) when operating a washing machine. Cold water will clean your clothes.

Step six: Wash dishes using an automatic dishwasher rather than by hand. This saves on the amount of water that has to be heated in order to wash the dishes.

Following these steps, as well as using energy-efficient appliances, will help you saving on your home’s water needs.