Want money saving solutions that will pay for themselves in five minutes?  Look here.  Because, yes, we should all have high efficiency on-demand water heaters, but not necessarily the budget for it right now.  It’s a great goal for the future of your home, but lets look at what you can do today, for this season, at zero cost.  Here are some ideas:

• FREE. Have a hot water tank?  Check the temperature and consider turning it down.  A temperature of 120 is usually more than adequate.   Most tanks will have a range from 100 – 140 degrees for operating temperature.  You may think that a lower water temperature means it won’t go as far.  True in theory, but in practice, you will probably not know the difference – except in your utility bill.  The way a hot water tank works is to heat the water, then shut off until it cools to a trigger point that will reheat it again.  If the tank must reheat to a higher temperature, it uses more fuel to do so, and loses that heat more quickly as there is a large difference between the water temperature and the air temperature.

• FREE – and easy.  Call R&B for a free estimate for an on-demand water heater, because it doesn’t hurt to ask. Then check out the Fortis BC website for grants and to calculate your savings and your payback period.

• Not free, but cheap.  Have an older tank?  Consider a water heater insulation blanket.  They sell at big box retailers for around $65 and they will save you from heat loss.  Newer tanks have a lot more insulation in them so tank blankets are less effective.

Those will get you going.  Check out the follow-up blog for Free Heating Tips.