Save Energy by Saving Water
Increase efficiency and use it effectively
It’s likely that over 10 percent of your utility bill is allocated to heating water. Whether it’s for showering, washing dishes and laundry, or simply just to keep it in constant availability, it takes a lot of energy to provide the luxury (or necessity depending on how you look at it) of hot water.
Insulation, it’s not just for your walls
Most people know the key to energy efficiency in the home is to prevent heat from escaping through walls by adding insulation. But there’s another place heat is lost - from your water heater. Like phantom power in electronics, there is standby loss in water heaters. Much of the time the water heater is using energy to maintain peak temperature, even when no water is being used.
Fitting the water heater with a thermal jacket (if the manufacturer doesn’t caution against it) can help prevent unnecessary heat loss. The hot water pipes running from the heater to taps can also be insulated. When it comes time to replace the water heater, you can go with a high efficiency model, such as the increasingly popular tankless water heaters.
Stop overheating your water
The water heater only needs to be set to 120 F, but many people have set theirs to 140 F or even 160 F. If you’re unsure, try it out for a few days. You’ll probably find you don’t notice much of a difference, and if you do you can always turn it up a bit at a time until it works for you.
Water savings in the bathroom
According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), showers are responsible for 20 percent of indoor water use.
- Low-flow shower heads - Faucet aerators, which are great for reducing water use in all areas of the home, can make a big difference in the shower. They decrease the amount of water that comes from the tap, while forcing air into the stream to make up for it. You won’t even notice a difference, but it can save you over 5 percent of the water you normally use, and all the heating costs associated.
- Showers instead of baths - Quick showers use a lot less water than bathing. But if you absolutely can’t give them up, don’t fill the tub completely; about 1/3 should do.
Other ways to conserve water and energy are washing laundry in cold cycles, running only full loads in the dishwasher and making sure to replace old equipment with energy efficient appliances.
