If you want to reduce your household energy bills then its worth considering your water heater. Water heaters account for a third of all household energy consumption.



There are four ways to cut your water heating bills:

• Use less hot water,

• Turn down the thermostat on your water heater,

• Insulate your water heater,

• Buy a new, more efficient water heater.

Lower the thermostat on your water heater; water heaters often arrive from the manufacture with high temperature settings, a setting of 49°C provides nice hot water for most people.

Reduce the amount of baths that you have within any given week, try to take more showers. Or if you have children let one child take one bath and then another child can use the water. This may sound not very hygienic but there was a time when water was not running from taps and people had to be a lot more economical with water that they would collect from wells.

If you have an old electric water heater storage tank insulate it with an insulation blanket, be careful not to cover the thermostat as this can skew your temperature control.

Insulate the first 6-8 feet of the hot and cold water pipes connected to the water heater.

Most water heaters last for around 10-5 years, it's best to start shopping for a new one if yours is more than 7 years old. Research what's on the market before your current water heater fails as this will enable you to select a heater that meets your needs.

For long-term savings don't skrimp on your initial purchase a standard water heater may cost less initially, however look at the big picture and the savings that can be made through buying an energy efficient heater, year on year.

Consider natural-gas on-demand or tankless water heaters. Research has found there to be massive savings of up to 30% compared with standard natural-gas storage tank water heaters.