Five Ways to Avoid the Scare of High Energy Bills with Water Heater Tips

Want to avoid things that go bump in the night? You’ll have a hard time doing that when the trick-or-treaters roll around. But for the other 364 days of the year, bumps in the night – or clanks or bangs – are signs your water heater is about to break. That’s a “trick” you definitely don’t want.

By showing your water heater a little TLC, you can extend its useful life, improve its efficiency, save money on your energy bills, and have plenty of hot water to enjoy.

Here are five easy ways you can do just that:

Perform a visual inspection.
Look for signs of leaks in the area around your water heater, the relief valve, and pipes. You’ll want to call a plumber if you see even the slightest evidence of leaking. Otherwise you may be in for a big problem – and big, expensive headache – later.

Lower the temperature.
There is a good chance your hot water is actually too hot. The manufacturer’s default temperature on your water heater is typically higher than you need it to be. You can adjust it to 120 degrees to have plenty of hot water while also keeping your energy use in check. Depending on how high the temperature is set before you lower it, you could reduce energy use anywhere from 4% to 22% with a simple adjustment.

Insulate your water heater tank.
When you touch the surface of your water heater, does it feel warm? If so, that means it’s losing heat and wasting energy. An insulated blanket for your water heater tank costs about $30 and can help you save up to 16% in water heating energy costs annually.

Insulate hot water pipes.
Heat can also be lost through your pipes. You can reduce heat loss by as much as 4 degrees with pipe insulation, which means you can keep the temperature of your water heater lower to save more energy. This relatively inexpensive project is easy and can result in 4% energy savings – every little bit helps!

Know when to replace.
If your water heater is 10 years old or older, it’s getting close to the time to replace it. ENERGY STAR^® certifies water heaters of all types (gas storage, electric storage, electric heat pump, gas tankless, solar) that feature the latest technology that results in ample hot water at a fraction of the energy use.

Ready for a new water heater? Mass Save offers rebates of up to $800 on high-efficiency options. To learn more, please select the fuel you use for water heating: natural gas, oil, propane, or electricity. You may even qualify for 0% financing with a Mass Save HEAT Loan.