How To Adjust Your Water Heater To Save Energy

Before you open up any part of an electric water heater, turn the power off! Water and 220 volts DO NOT MIX! Find your heater’s temperature control and set it to 120 degrees. Most electric heaters have two thermostats behind screw-on plates. Make sure the power’s off, and then set them to the same temperature. Oil heaters have a thermostat on the side, and gas heaters usually have one on the bottom.

If your water heater is warm to the touch, it’s wasting energy. Help it keep that heat inside by having a water heater blanket installed. It will pay for itself by lowering your heating bills as much as 9%.

Install a timer on your water heater so that it shuts off during times when you don’t need hot water, like the middle of the night.

Drain a quart of water from your tank every three months. It will remove sediment that reduces your heater’s efficiency. Follow the instructions for your heater.

Periodically check the water temperature with the thermometer again—thermostats are often inaccurate. Adjust the thermostat and recheck the temperature until the water is really 120 degrees, regardless of what the thermostat says.

If you’re leaving your home for more than three days, turn the heater setting down to the lowest setting, or off if there’s no danger of the water freezing. Otherwise you’re paying to have hot water at the ready when no one’s around to use it.

If your bills are still higher than they should be, consider replacing your water heater with a more energy-efficient one, like a solar heater, especially if yours is from before 1996. It will save you money in the long run—and it’s tax deductible!