Using a Hot Water Heater Blanket and Other Tips To Save Money on Utilities
The home should be run like a business. You have fixed costs that there are nothing that can be done about and then there are control elements that present money saving opportunities. Our utilities are probably the biggest area that is presented for saving and probably the area that most people waste the largest amount of money. Something as simple as a hot water heater blanket can save as much as $20 a month.
The hot water heater is an energy pig. They are often out of sight and out of mind and therefore, not a place that the average person looks to save money. All they know is that the utility bills come in each month and they get higher and higher. Most people don’t understand that the hot water heater is probably the item that is using up most of that energy.
A hot water heater insulating blanket can cut energy costs dramatically in a very short period of time. The moment it is installed, it starts saving money and reducing bills. Not only does it reduce the bills, but it also enables the homeowner other opportunities to save even more money on their utilities.
Because the water heater will now have a hot water heater blanket wrapped around it, the water will stay warmer much longer. To take save a few more dollars each month, many homeowners that have nobody at home until the evening hours will turn the water heater off (electric only) and allow the hot water heater blanket to keep their water warm. Since it is not being used, there is no need to keep the electric running to power it.
Something else to consider is to control the usage of your hot water. Electric and gas will generally have different rates on the monthly bill. The reason for this is that they cost more money to run at different times of the day. For instance, it costs significantly less during the late night and early morning hours than it does during prime time. This is because energy is at its highest demand during the day and since demand is so high, supply is more expensive.
To counter this, some daily chores should only be done at night or very early in the morning before the usage costs get higher. Since the hot water heater blanket keeps the water toasty all day, keep that tank filled until it is cheaper to run. When the sun goes down, wash the clothes, clean the dishes and tell everyone to get in the shower. If they are not leaving the house until mid-day, get a shower at night before they go to bed or wake up early and do it before the prices go up.
While a using a blanket for hot water heater is one tip, there are plenty of others that can be used to save a lot of money. Using energy efficient light bulbs can cut another $10 or so off the monthly bill. Electronics such as that big screen plasma TV will jack up the bill on standby mode. Use smart strips to kill the power and save money. Using all of these tips can easily reduce the monthly utility bills by $30 or $40. With a savings of as much as $500 a year, that is like getting 3 months utilities for free. Now who doesn’t want that?