How to be smarter with your hot water consumption

IN winter, electric element geysers use more energy to meet the demand for hot water in households. Geysers are responsible for 30 to 50 percent of a household’s energy cost and in winter geysers consume even more energy to keep water at the setpoint temperature when outside temperatures plummet.

How to be electricity smart with your hot water consumption:

· Install the geyser closest to the points where hot water is used in your home.

· Turn down the thermostat on your geyser to 60ºC.

· 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. These showerheads have a flow rate which is less than 10 litres per minute, saving you both water and electricity.

· Shower instead of taking a bath. A seven minute shower uses less hot water and your geyser will use less electricity to reheat the water.

· Install flow restrictors on your taps. Restrictors reduce the amount of water that flows through your taps.

· Use basin plugs in the kitchen and bathroom to prevent hot water from running unnecessarily.

· 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 and 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 leftover hot water in a flask to use later and to avoid boiling the kettle again.

The most effective measure by far 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 not only reduce your electricity bill by up to 24 percent, but is also more energy efficient than an electric element geyser.

Smart electricity and smart hot water consumption in households across South Africa will help to reduce pressure on the national power grid. If you switch off your geyser between 5pm and 9pm, the period of peak residential demand for electricity, you can reduce electricity demand.