Water Heating Savings: 5 Cost-Saving Measures That Get Results

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When you think about your monthly energy expenses, your lights and furnace are probably the first things that come to mind. But did you know that water heating typically accounts for 25 percent of your energy consumption? Sure, we want our hot water, but 25 percent of any expense can be a lot. Fortunately, there are easy ways you can pare down your water heating costs without sacrificing your comfort. Here are five cost-saving measures that get results.

  1. Reduce your hot-water usage: Take shorter showers. Find and fix even the smallest leaks in your hot-water system. Install low-flow showerheads, faucets and other plumbing fixtures.
  2. Insulate your water heater tank: When hot water sits in the tank after being heated, it slowly loses heat energy. Reduce this standby loss by insulating your water heater tank. Ask your hardware dealer or trusted plumber for a commercially made insulating jacket that fits over the tank. Good insulation at the tank can reduce standby heat loss by as much as 45 percent, cutting water heating costs by up to 9 percent. Be aware, however, that covering some labels on your water heater could invalidate the warranty. Check your user’s manual, or give the contractor who installed your water heater a call.
  3. Turn down the thermostat: In most cases, water that’s 120 degrees is fine for cooking, cleaning and bathing. Keeping the thermostat at 120 degrees also prevents scalding injuries.
  4. Insulate your hot-water pipes: By insulating the pipes in your hot-water system, you’ll cut down on heat loss as the water travels from the tank to your bathrooms and kitchen. Look for ready-made pipe insulation that you can easily fit over pipes, or wrap the pipes with standard fiberglass blanket insulation.
  5. Use cold water whenever possible: Instead of hot or warm water, use cold water for household tasks at every opportunity. If you don’t like the idea of washing your clothes in cold or tepid water for fear of lingering germs, hang your clothes out to dry after you’ve used the washer. The sun will kill the bacteria.

The plumbing industry has changed dramatically since Apollo Home Heating, Cooling and Plumbing was founded in 1910. And we’ve kept up with all the high-tech solutions that have developed over the years. Contact us for more tips on saving energy. We’re proud to serve homeowners in greater Cincinnati.

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"Ernie & Mike did a superb job on my new furnace and A/C installation. Despite having more than a day’s work to do, they came in and stayed until the job was done. They were organized, efficient, and protected the rest of the house well. Got both furnace and A/C installed the same day. Ernie was courteous, informative, and clearly knew his job better than anyone I’ve encountered before. The units look so good guests now get The Tour of our new system. Apollo is clearly not a fly-by-night company. I would recommend them to anyone in need of a new furnace and/or A/C."
- Jerry A.
"I called Apollo because of a water leak I thought I had in our upstairs shower going into the kitchen. Robbie came and assured me everything was fine & looked at all the other plumbing. He ended up changing a few pipes for our washer & clearing a drain. He was very nice & knowledgeable with all my questions. I ended up signing up for the care plan & was very happy with my service."
- Cassandra B.
"The team at Apollo exceeded my expectations. As a business owner, my attention to the details and commitment to providing excellent service is high. From the sales rep. to the installation team, everyone’s performance was outstanding. For example, the installation team went to great lengths to protect our floors, placing floor runners and across the wood floors and up the stairs. They even were spot washing walls upon their departure. I highly recommend this company."
- Randy B.
"We scheduled an estimate AND a tune-up. We knew something was wrong with our furnace, but hoped we could make it through the rest of the season. Upon telling Bill what our furnace was doing, he warned us immediately what the possible outcome was going to be; a cracked heat exchanger. He watched the flames roll backward, tested carbon monoxide levels, which were so high they meter’s last reading was 5,600 before saying “high”. He immediately shut it down, tagged it, and explained that with levels that high and children in our home he wanted off right away. He continued his inspection and showed us via a camera that not only was it cracked in multiple places, but had holes all over it. He gave us a few options for repairing it; his knowledge as well as genuine concern was beneficial and refreshing. Luckily we also scheduled an estimator, Micah, to come too and we were able to get costs between repairing and replacing (with several options). We decided to replace with a much higher efficiency furnace and one sized properly to our home. Hands down, not only did they both provide us great service and knowledge, but without sounding dramatic, they may have saved our lives. This was our first time calling Apollo, but it won’t be our last."
- Sarah B.
"Apollo is an excellent company. I always receive great service. Alex A. was professional and friendly. He kept me informed during the process of checking my furnace and heat pump to make sure they were working properly. The company makes sure you are notified who is coming and when they are on the way. All my interactions with the company have been wonderful."
- Beverly S.
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