Electric water heating

Approximately 12-20% of your annual energy usage goes to producing hot water for cooking, bathing, laundry, dishwashing and miscellaneous other uses.

    Video demonstration of water heater savings tips Video demonstration of a low flow shower head
  • Install aerators on faucets to limit flow to 1.5 gallons of water per minute or less.
  • Repair leaking water faucets and make sure faucets are turned off completely. A dripping hot water faucet can leak hundreds of gallons a year, adding to your water heating costs.
  • Check for leaks around your water heater by looking for standing water. Also, put your ear to the water heater to listen for water running when no faucets are on. This can indicate a cracked or broken water line.
  • Set your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees. Turning the thermostat down from 140 degrees to 120 degrees can save up to $7 per month.
  • Approximately 90% of the energy used to wash clothes goes to heating water. Save money by washing as many loads as possible in cold water.
    • Video demonstration of a water heater timer installation
  • Install a timer on your electric water heater if you are on SRP's optional Time-of-Use price plan. This will keep the unit from cycling on during on-peak hours. If you are able to set your unit to cycle on during off-peak hours, then you may want to consider purchasing a larger unit, which would allow you to access a larger reservoir of hot water supply during on-peak hours.
  • Take short showers instead of baths. A five-minute shower typically uses less than 15 gallons of water while a bath can use 30 to 40 gallons.

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