Learn to love your water heater

One of the major expenses in running a UK home is heating water, with experts stating that around 20% of all utility bill expenses go in that direction. Because energy prices have risen over the last decade this can amount to a serious sum of money, and presents an issue that has to be addressed without too much delay. Not only that, but by reducing the use of energy will undoubtedly have a very positive role in how our environment will look in the future.

So with energy saving in mind, and considering our water heater in particular, there are things that need to be learned and understood about this appliance which most UK households are totally dependent upon, but most know very little about. One thing for sure is that no matter if you have a natural gas, electric or propane water heater, there are some fairly simple steps that you can take that will save you energy that will be reflected, and very clearly, in your household bills.

One certainty is that you don’t need to pay for water that you have heated and haven’t made maximum use of. That means taking the most obvious but too often overlooked step of making sure that no taps, pipes or joints are leaking. You will be surprised how much the most simple of drips can cost: as much as 150 gallons during a monthly cycle, which works out at three full tanks of boiling water flowing down the drain, taking your bank account with it.

Insulating pipes is an on-cost that people rarely considered till recently. While most of the domestic piping systems are situated either underground or inside the walls of houses, there is still about one third that is exposed to the elements. The money invested in insulating these pipes will be quickly recovered in reducing heating bills.

Another point that many fail to pick up on is the water heater itself. If it has been placed on concrete, a wise move would be to place an insulating pad between the base of the heater and the concrete. An insulating pad is simply a piece of polystyrene, 1½" high, and capable of supporting the considerable weight of a water heater when it is full.

These are some of the simplest steps that you can take and if you do, you will begin to see the effective savings in your monthly water heating bills. For the do it yourself expert, there is nothing too serious to be carried out here, and the materials involved are both inexpensive and easy to work with. For the less than handy or less than mobile, the cost savings will certainly justify the expense of hiring a tradesman to carry out the job. In many cases the local council will pay for part of the cost of insulation. Just remember, never allow a tradesman to touch or adjust the internal workings of your water heater unless he is certified to do so.

This article was sourced from www.britishgasboilers.co.uk/