Cut the cost of heating your hot water
It looks like summer might finally be here which means many of us have turned off our heating, helping to lower the cost of energy bills. But did you know hot water accounts for around 10% of the average energy bill? Since it’s not something we can do without, even in the summer, so tips to help you cut the cost of heating your hot water.
- Check the timings and other controls on your boiler for your water heating, which on an older boiler will often be integrated with the timings of your central heating. You may be able to reduce the length of time that the water heating is turned on, especially in the summer.
- If your boiler is over fifteen years old, it could be time to replace it. A modern combi-boiler, which provides instant hot water, is generally considered to be more energy efficient than a ‘stored’ hot water system.
- Check to see if your power shower pump has flow controls. If it does, you should be able to reduce the flow. Fit a shower head flow regulator or a shower head that aerates the flow. Both reduce the flow of water, cutting water and energy use.
- If you wash up by hand, don’t rinse the dishes under constant running hot or cold water. Use a washing up bowl or put the plug in the sink.
- If you have an older boiler and still have an immersion heater, switch to using immersion heater in the summer.
- If you have an old cistern (tank) that isn’t insulated, then fit a tank jacket. This should pay for itself in just a few months and you can add to the insulation effect by storing bedding, pillows and towels around the cistern. Where they’re accessible, insulate the ‘downpipes’ – these are the pipes that lead from the cistern to the taps.
- Buy a shower timer to check how long you’re really spending in the shower.
- Make sure you have your boiler serviced annually as this will help your boiler run more efficiently and reduce the cost of heating your hot water.
