The rising cost of household utilities is of concern to many Australians. Your home has individually meter hot water on a private network. There are many ways you can reduce your hot water usage and have a positive impact on your bill. Below are some tips.
The majority of domestic hot water usage comes from showering but there are a several ways to cut down on hot water usage in the shower.
- Install a water efficient shower head (at least three star) - this can reduce shower water usage by 50%.
- Use a timer to keep showers efficient and save on water and heating costs
It is also important to make sure your washing machine and dishwasher are set to the most efficient settings
- Wash laundry on the cold cycle whenever possible and try to only do full loads of laundry
- Many dishwashers have cold and/or economy cycles, utilising these can make a considerable impact on your hot water bills.
Make sure to always repair dripping taps and pipes as soon as possible to reduce water waste and prevent additional contribution to you water and hot water bills, this includes leakage from your water heating system.
Set your water heater above 60°C
- This is high enough to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria but any higher temperature setting will lead to unnecessary energy usage and costs.
- Turn your water heater off when you're away on holidays to save on unnecessary standby usage. When you return, make sure that the water heater is turned on above 60°C for a minimum of 35 minutes prior to use.
- Make sure the hot water system is the services as per the manufacturer's manual
If you have a continuous flow system, you only need to set the temperature to 50°C.
For more tips visit the Australian Government's Your Home website at: https://www.yourhome.gov.au/energy/hot-water-service