Saving money: Why households need to tackle their geyser heating costs

Your power-guzzling geyser could cost you thousands this winter if you don’t act now to trim your electricity bill.

Heating your water using an electric geyser takes far more electricity during the cold winter season, Looksee executive head Marc du Plessis told The Citizen.

For typical households, access to hot water for showering, bathing, and cleaning is essential. However, providing this comfort comes at a price. In fact, experts estimate that geyser heating accounts for 40% to 50% of the average family’s monthly electricity bill.

Understand your geyser

Understanding how your geyser works and exploring cost-saving measures can save you thousands. 

Geysers are generally the most electricity-intensive appliance in the home, with the power ratings of common elements ranging from 2 kilowatts (kW) up to as high as 5kW in older units.

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This means that if you have an average 3kW geyser, you could be spending as much as R9 per hour heating your water.

At its core, a geyser functions like a large kettle: water in the geyser is heated by an electric element to a temperature preset on the thermostat. Unlike the kettle, however, your geyser continues to heat your water to maintain it at the desired temperature throughout the day and overnight.  

Why is my electricity bill so high in winter?

The electricity-intensive cost of geyser heating tends to spike in the winter months due to several factors:

• Colder Inlet Water: The water entering the geyser is much colder and requires more electricity to heat up.
• Increased Heat Loss: The colder ambient air around the geyser leads to more rapid heat loss, necessitating more frequent reheating.
• Higher Hot Water Usage: People generally take longer and hotter showers and baths in winter, increasing the overall demand for hot water.

To mitigate the high costs associated with geyser heating, du Plessis said families can adopt several strategies:

What can I do to save electricity?

The first and most straightforward step is to wrap your geyser in a SABS-approved geyser blanket and insulate exposed hot (and even cold) water pipes.

ALSO READ: Converting your electric geyser to solar could save you thousands

“This insulation is essential for reducing the amount of heat your geyser loses into the surrounding space, which, in turn, limits the amount of electricity needed for constant reheating. Insulating your pipes will also prevent bursting in cold weather,” advised du Plessis.

Plug into the sun

Switching your geyser’s power source to solar panels can help you save as much as 50% on your electricity bill.

“I was listening to a radio show, and a listener called in to say ‘my geyser costs so much, I wish I could plug it to the sun’, says Du Plessis.

Thanks to advancements in solar technology, this isn’t just possible, it’s affordable too.

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Unlike traditional solar geysers, this highly effective conversion process does not require your geyser to be moved or changed in any way.

Instead, normal solar panels are installed on your roof and connected to a controller which supplies power to the geyser. What’s more, connection to your home’s electricity supply is maintained for backup power during extended periods of cloudy weather.

“This conversion process is far more affordable than the installation of a traditional solar geyser because we’re doing away with expensive mounting and plumbing costs.

In fact, we’ve been able to minimise the costs to a point where most households will be able to pay the finance costs out of the savings on their electricity bill, with a little left over to spend on the family,” says Du Plessis.

These installations start at R23 140 for a 3-panel system and can be financed on a LookSee’s Solar Loan, enabling customers to benefit from low interest rates that range from Prime plus 1% up to a maximum of Prime plus 2.5%.

Click here to convert your geyser to get power from solar panels.

Smart geyser devices

For those that are not ready to invest in changes to their water heating, Du Plessis advises that a subscription to a Smart Geyser device can help you manage your geyser from your smartphone.

While not as effective at reducing your electricity bill as a geyser conversion, these devices allow you to set up schedules so that your geyser only heats for the periods of the day when you expect to need hot water.

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The device also enables you to set your geyser’s temperature remotely and will warn you when faults are detected in the geyser which could lead to a burst.

Smart geyser devices are available on subscription basis at a cost of R139 per month and could reduce your electricity bill by 15%.