Your home’s water can be one of the biggest energy users in the home. Many factors come into play when taking into consideration how much energy you’re using to heat water for both everyday and sporadic activities around the house. The type of water heater you have, usage habits, and many other considerations should be made when thinking about ways to save energy while still keeping your home and selves comfortable.
In this blog post series, we’ll touch on a list of items that you should keep top of mind when it comes to your home’s water heater.
- Use cold water during washing machine cycles. While many think using warm or hot water for all of their clothing wash cycles will get your clothes and linens cleanest, that’s often not the case. In most cases, using cold water during the wash portion of the cycle is just as effective. Cold water can always be used during the rinse portion of the cycle. Switching these habits can lift a lot of weight off your water heater, saving you energy.
- Consider a washing machine and/or dishwasher upgrade. Speaking of washing machines, if you have an older machine, especially one that is more than 10 years old, you could be saving a lot of energy, and water for the matter, by upgrading to a new Energy Star rated machine. In fact, water savings alone from a newer high efficiency model could save an average of $135 per year according the Energy.gov. The same can be said for your dishwasher. Older, less efficient dishwashers tend to use a large amount of hot water. Energy Star qualified washers can save over 30% on both energy and water.
- Call in the experts. As with any energy savings efforts, if you’re not very sure what could be saving you money, or if you just don’t have the time to dedicate to checking on these items or making installations yourself, it’s a good idea to call in experts such as our knowledgeable service staff at BelRed. Qualified (and certified) professionals will be able to give you dedicated, caring support and individual problem solving tips to help you make sure you’re using less energy to heat the water you need at home.
For a more detailed and personalized list of improvements for you and your home, please contact BelRed today. We’ll help guide you through not only the items on this checklist, but also individual recommendations built just for you and your budget.
