ENERGY SAVER: 13 ways to stop hot water costs from boiling over

According to an Eskom statement, geysers were responsible for between 30 and 50 per cent of energy costs.

This is due to electric element geysers using more energy to meet households’ demand for hot water and keeping it at a set point temperature when outside temperatures dropped.

Be electricity smart with this quick and easy guideline:

1. Install your geyser closest to the points where hot water is used in your home.

2. Turn down the thermostat on your geyser to 60 degree Celsius.

3. Insulate your geyser with a geyser blanket.

4. Insulate the first 1.5 metres of hot water outlet pipes leading from your geyser.

5. Fit your showers with energy and water saving shower heads. These fixtures flow rate is less than 10 litres per minute, saving water and electricity.

6. Shower instead of taking a bath. A seven minute shower uses less hot water, resulting in your geyser using less electricity to reheat the water.

7. Install flow restrictors on your taps, as they mix water with air, saving you water and electricity.

8. Do not let hot water run unnecessarily; always use basin plugs in the bathroom and kitchen.

9. Use cold water for quick tasks, like washing your hands or brushing your teeth.

10. In the kitchen, use cold water to rinse fruit and vegetables.

11. Connect your washing machine and dishwasher to the cold water supply, and switch these appliances on only when you have full loads.

12. If clothes are not particularly dirty, skip the pre-wash cycle on your washing machine.

13. Only boil enough water for the number of cups of coffee or tea you are making. Store any left over hot water in a flask for later use to avoid boiling the kettle again.

The most effective measure by far for managing and reducing water heating costs would be to replace electrical element geysers with a solar water heating system or heat pump.

A high-pressure solar water heating system can reduce your electricity bill by up to 24 per cent, while a heat pump was also more energy efficient than an electric element geyser.

Through being electricity smart, hot water consumption in households across South Africa will help reduce pressure on the national power grid.

It is therefore important to switch off your geyser between 5pm and 9pm, the period of peak demand for electricity in the residential sector, while acting upon the Power Alerts you see on television, by switching off electricity heavy appliances and unnecessary lights in your home.