Your faucets, showerheads and plumbing appliances聽consume聽plenty聽of hot water.聽As a matter of fact, the聽聽states聽that water heating is the second-largest utility cost behind space heating and cooling, accounting for聽approximately聽18% of your monthly bill.聽Discover聽how much energy聽the average聽water heater uses and helpful tips to聽scale back聽your water heating costs.
How Much Electricity Does an Electric Water Heater Use?
The聽total聽cost to run an electric water heater聽depends on聽the聽square footage聽of the unit, how much you use it, its power聽needs聽and聽local costs聽for electricity.聽For instance, a medium-sized, 40-gallon water heater that聽draws聽4500 watts and is active for聽2聽hours a day at a rate of $0.13 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) costs about $1.17 to聽work聽per day, which聽comes to聽$35聽each month聽or $426聽each year.
How Much Natural Gas Does a Gas-Fired Water Heater聽Need?
If your water heater聽runs using聽natural gas, you聽must聽consider the size of the unit, how much you use it, its power draw and聽typical costs聽for natural gas.聽For instance, a medium-sized, 40-gallon water heater that uses .205 therms per hour and is active for聽two聽hours聽a聽day聽for a price聽of $1 per therm costs about $0.62 to operate per day, which聽comes to聽$18.60聽each month聽or $226聽each year.
Gas vs. Electric Water Heater Costs
As you can聽determine聽from the examples above, gas water heaters聽usually聽cost less to聽run聽than聽comparable聽electric models because natural gas prices聽have a tendency聽to run lower than聽the price of electricity.聽Refine聽the calculations with your exact energy usage and rates to聽create聽a more accurate picture of gas vs. electric water heater聽costs.
Tips to Reduce Your Water Heating Bills
Whether your water heater聽runs using聽electricity or gas, you can聽trim聽your utility costs with these money-saving聽suggestions.
Change聽Your Hot Water Habits
Consider聽that聽each聽time you turn on a hot water聽tap, you聽need to聽pay to heat it. Modify your聽everyday聽habits to聽lower your bills. Here’s how:
- 罢补办别听蝉丑辞谤迟别谤听蝉丑辞飞别谤蝉.
- Only聽run聽the dishwasher and washing machine with full loads.
- Avoid聽pre-rinsing dishes before聽placing聽them into the dishwasher.
- Wash聽your clothes in cold water聽whenever聽possible.
Repair聽Plumbing Leaks
Leaky faucets, showerheads and pipes can waste聽large聽amounts聽of hot water.聽For instance, one drip per second聽can waste as much as聽1,600 gallons聽each year. Eliminate this waste by聽repairing聽plumbing leaks as soon as you聽notice聽them.
Install Low-Flow Faucets and Showerheads
Modern聽regulations聽require new showerheads to consume 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) or less while kitchen faucets are limited to 2.2 gpm.聽A new set of聽bathroom faucets must have flow rates below 1.5 gpm.
You can聽find聽quality, low-flow kitchen and bathroom fixtures for聽about聽$10 to $20 each, resulting in聽approximately聽60% savings on water use.聽Look for聽the ENERGY STAR¨ WaterSense label to聽increase聽efficiency without negatively聽impacting聽performance.
Turn Down the Water Heater Temperature
The聽standard聽setting is 140 degrees. Lower this to 120 degrees to save on water heating costs and聽minimize聽the聽chance聽of scalding at the tap. Just don’t go any lower than 120 degrees to聽prevent聽microbial growth聽inside聽the tank.
In case your聽water heater doesn’t聽include聽a temperature readout, determine the setting with a thermometer at the bathroom or kitchen聽tap. Adjust the water heater’s dial, wait two hours and聽measure聽the water’s temperature. Repeat this process until the thermometer聽reaches聽120 degrees.
Add Insulation
Both electric and natural gas water heaters can be insulated with聽insulation聽jackets available at home improvement聽retailers. Be聽mindful聽to install the聽jacket聽correctly to avoid creating a dangerous operating situation.聽If you're unsure how to proceed, ask a professional for help.聽When聽the tank is insulated, add insulation聽to your聽hot and cold pipes coming from the water heater to help things heat up faster at the聽tap.
Buy More Efficient Equipment
In case your聽water heater is聽getting close to聽the end of its life span,聽think about聽replacing it with an聽ENERGY STAR-rated model. A聽tankless water heater聽is聽a good聽option. This upgrade can save聽approximately聽34% on your water heating bills by聽heating聽water on demand and聽getting rid of聽standby heat loss. Save聽energy and lower costs聽by replacing your hot water appliances with high-efficiency models, including聽the聽dishwasher and washing machine.
Schedule Water Heater 天美传媒 with an Expert
天美传媒 is your source for聽reliable, affordable聽water heater services聽in North America. Our highly trained technicians can聽satisfy聽any water heater repair or replacement request that comes our way. We聽carry聽top products from today’s best brands, including聽conventional聽tanks as well as tankless models, to suit your needs while staying聽in your聽budget. To聽find out more, please聽contact your local 天美传媒 office听迟辞诲补测.
