Home Series Booklets

Water Heating

Plan for the Future | Work You Can Do | Rebates and Tax Credits |
Systems Approach

Download the the entire booklet here.
Book 3: Water Heaters - (2.5MB PDF)

Reduce use and increase efficiency

Although there are many ways to cut your water heating bills, they all fall into two broad categories: reducing the amount of hot water you use and making your water heating system more efficient. Fortunately, there are several strategies that can help you consume less energy and save money—and still meet your hot water needs without sacrificing comfort or practicality.


This booklet was designed to answer common questions about hot water systems and to provide you with the information necessary to make informed decisions about a wide variety of topics, ranging from repairing hot water faucet leaks and insulating water supply pipes to installing low-flow showerheads and tuning up your existing water heater. You’ll also find details on what to consider when it’s time to go comparison shopping for a new water heater—including an evaluation of the alternatives to the common gas or electric storage tank unit that’s found in the majority of homes in Iowa and across the country.

Get going now, but take time to plan for the future
You don’t have to spend a lot to generate considerable savings on your water-heating bills. Start by making sure your existing water heater is properly maintained. Talk with everyone in your family about how they can reduce hot-water use on a daily basis. Fix the little problems, such as water leaks, that can add up to wasted dollars much faster than you’d ever imagine. And be realistic about the lifetime of your water heater; once it’s seven to ten years old (or out of warranty), begin your research into new models and make plans to replace the old one. Don’t wait until the water heater fails, like many people do; at that moment, you’ll be reacting to a home emergency that may force you into making quick, uninformed decisions that will cost you money in the long run.

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How much of the work can you do?
If you’re a competent do-it-yourselfer, you can manage many of the energy-saving projects and maintenance chores described in this book. However, if you’re uncomfortable with the idea of working on plumbing or would rather hire someone to handle an upgrade or repair, don’t hesitate to call a professional; the dollars saved through energy savings in future years will be worth the expense. (Of course, only a trained technician should tackle jobs that require working with natural gas, propane, electricity or electronic water heater control units.)

Study Your Home to Save

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Look for rebates and tax credits
Many utility companies offer rebates on high-efficiency gas or electric water heaters; in addition, some local electric cooperatives offer special pricing on energy-saving electric water heaters for customers who convert from gas models. Look for the latest offers on your utility’s Web site or call the company’s customer service department.

Also check the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) at http://www.dsireusa.org, which features a comprehensive listing of local, state, federal and utility incentives that promote renewable options such as solar water heating systems.

A tax credit can provide significant savings, too, after you buy a qualified energy-saving water heater. However, unlike a rebate, a check for the tax credit won’t arrive in your mailbox a few weeks after you make the purchase; instead, the tax credit will reduce the amount of income tax you’ll pay for the year in which you put the equipment in service. Consult your tax adviser or go to the Web sites for the Tax Incentives Assistance Project at http://www.energytaxincentives.org/ or the Alliance to Save Energy at http://www.ase.org/.

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Take a systems approach to lowering water-heating costs
Your water heater is more than just an appliance sitting in a corner of your basement (or a utility closet)—it’s an integral part of a whole-house hot water supply system that runs, at a minimum, to your home’s kitchen, bathrooms and laundry. Every part of this system—whether it’s a long pipe run from the water heater to a bathroom at the other end of the house or a leaky faucet at the kitchen sink—can have a dramatic effect on your monthly utility bills.

For example, you may need to run the water at a bathroom sink for a couple of minutes until it’s finally hot enough for shaving; during that time, all the cool water that’s been sitting in the pipe from the water heater just runs out of the faucet—and then down the drain. Or, if the hot water side of the kitchen faucet leaks a little bit around the handle whenever you run the water, you could be wasting a gallon or more of hot water every day—or more than 500 gallons of water a year. In an average home, that’s enough water to fill your water heater 10 or 12 times; by any measure, that’s a lot of wasted, heated water!

Energy Use in a Typical Home

Ranking as the third-largest energy user in an average home, water heating accounts for about 13 percent of a family’s utility bill.

Source: 2005 Buildings Energy Data Book, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energ

Download the the entire booklet here.
Book 3: Water Heaters - (2.5MB PDF)

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