Your Guide to Hot Water Savings

Did you know the average family uses 225 litres of hot water every day? Long showers, leaky faucets and inefficient appliances are common causes of higher bills.

Shopping tips

Try these no-cost or low-cost hot water tips

Start with these smart moves and, when it is time for a replacement, use our shopping guide to help take savings to the next level.

Fix leaky taps

A leaky tap can waste up to 75 litres per week! A new rubber washer costs about 25 cents at your local retailer and can be fixed quickly with a wrench and screwdriver.

Use faucet aerators

Aerators reduce water consumption by up to 50%. Your local retailer has a selection of models that you can install easily yourself.

Take Five-minute showers

A typical bath uses about 75 litres of hot water, while a five-minute shower with a low-flow showerhead uses less than half of that.

MAKE LAUNdry more efficient

Wash everything in cold water: it protects fabrics from fading and shrinking, and can save enough energy for 220 showers per year!

get dishwasher savings

Always run full loads, use the shorted or "eco" wash cycle and select air dry for up to 50% savings.

Soak up the savings

Try these inexpensive DIY projects for significant hot water savings. Shopping for a new hot water heater, dishwasher or clothes washer? Get the best value for your investment with our buying tips.

1

Install an energy-efficient showerhead
- This reduces hot water use by up to 30% and saves over 28,000 litres per year.
- Taking shorter showers instead of baths saves both energy and water. For instance, two people could save over $30 per year by shortening their shower by one minute each.

2

Keep the insulating tank cover clear
- Be sure to keep the insulating tank cover clear of the air inlet for burners and the temperature controls.
- If you rent your hot water tank, check the rental agreement and consult your retailer before making changes.

3

How do you know if your showerhead is energy efficient?
- Try this simple flow test: open an empty 2L cardboard milk carton and hold it up to the shower while it is fully on. If it fills in less than 10 seconds, it is not energy efficient and you should consider replacing it.

4

insulate hot water pipes
- Insulate at least the few metres of pipe leading to and from the hot water tank with tape wrap or snap-on foam pipe tubing.
- If your hot water pipes run through sections of your home that are not heated, insulate them too.
- Plastic pipes should not be wrapped – the extra heat might soften them.

Time-of-Use tips

Save your hot water use for when the price is lower.

The price of electricity is lower during off-peak hours: on weekdays after 7:00 pm, and on weekends and statutory holidays. That's when overall demand is lower. Shifting your use to these times is one of the easiest ways to lower your bill:

Use your dishwasher and clothes washer during off-peak times.
If your dishwasher has a built-in timer, set it to run in off-peak hours.
Reducing the amount of hot water you use during on- and mid-peak periods will help reduce your overall bill.

Learn more about Time-of-Use pricing

Appliance use tips

Pair your new hot water know-how with more smart savings ideas.

Get tips to save on home appliance use

Shopping tips

Let the EnerGuide label help you decide.

Choosing an energy-efficient showerhead

Prices vary, but the cost is usually recovered from energy savings in less than one year. Look for features such as spray adjustments, spray pattern and coverage, forcefulness, quiet operation, and ease of cleaning.

Looking for a new dishwasher or washing machine?

It pays to read the EnerGuide label and comparison shop for the most energy-efficient model. Remember: the lower the kWh rating, the better the efficiency.

Appliances last for many years, and the “second price tag” – the cost of running the appliance – can add up to more than the initial purchase price. Use the EnerGuide label to help you shop smart.

Look for the EnerGuide label

All new major appliances carry an EnerGuide label to show that appliance’s energy consumption and a CSA label to indicate that it meets safety standards. EnerGuide labels tell you how many kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy you can expect that model to use each year.

Diagram to understanding the ENERGY STAR® label

1

This number is the expected annual energy consumption of the appliance in kWh. The lower the number, the higher the savings.

2

The energy consumption indicator shows you how this model compares to others in its class. The bar below the indicator gives the energy-efficiency range for the class. The further the indicator is to the left end of the scale, the better.

3

This bar shows the energy consumption of the most and least efficient appliances in this class. In this case, the most efficient comparable model uses 285 kWh per year, while the least efficient uses 484 kWh per year.