This week's weather has not only been wet, it's been freezing cold. That can mean you need more hot water – and that water is harder to heat.
This week's weather has not only been wet, it's been freezing cold. That can mean you need more hot water – and that water is harder to heat.
Which in turn can mean higher electricity bills – and no one wants that. Geysers are responsible for between 30% and 50% of a household's energy costs. Here are some tips to stop your hot water heating bills spiralling as temperatures drop.
•Install your geyser closest to the points where hot water is used in your home.
•Turn down the thermostat on your geyser to 60 ºC.
•Insulate your geyser with a geyser blanket.
•Insulate the first 1,5 metres of hot water outlet pipes leading from your geyser.
•Fit your showers with energy and water saving showerheads – their flow rate is less than 10 litres per minute, saving you water and electricity.
•Shower instead of taking a bath – a 7-minute shower uses less hot water and, as a result, your geyser uses less electricity to reheat the water.
•Install flow restrictors on your taps – they mix water with air, saving you water and electricity.
•Do not let hot water run unnecessarily – always use basin plugs in the bathroom and kitchen.
•In the bathroom, use cold water for quick tasks like washing your hands or brushing your teeth.
•In the kitchen, use cold water to rinse fruit and vegetables.
•Connect your washing machine and dishwasher to the cold water supply – only switch on these appliances when you have full loads.
•If clothes are not particularly dirty, skip the pre-wash cycle on your washing machine.
•Only boil enough water for the number of cups of coffee or tea you are making – store any left over hot water in a flask for later use to avoid boiling the kettle again.
By far the most effective thing you can do for managing and reducing water heating costs is to replace your electric element geyser with a solar water heating system or heat pump.
A high-pressure solar water heating system can reduce your electricity bill by up to 24%, whilst a heat pump is also more energy efficient than an electric element geyser.
Electricity smart hot water consumption in households across South Africa helps to reduce pressure on the national power grid.
Importantly, switch off your geyser between 5pm and 9pm, the period of peak demand for electricity in the residential sector and act upon the Power Alerts you see on television by switching off electricity heavy appliances and unnecessary lights in your home.
