Hot water

On average, 30% of your annual household energy bill goes on water heating.[1] In some cases, this is literally money down the drain. Making savings on hot water can have a real impact on your household costs.

You can cut how much you spend on hot water in two ways:

  • Heat your water more efficiently
  • Reduce the amount of hot water you use.

Efficient hot water heating

The right system for your household is a good place to start. This can be put in place when renovating, building, or when you have to replace your existing system. This can help you cut costs, lower energy wastage and minimise your impact on the environment.

You could consider using one of the following water heating systems:

ENERGYWISE™ grants are available in some cases to install solar water heating or heat pump water heating.

But no matter what system you have, you can probably use your hot water more efficiently. Check out our top tips.

Top tips to use less hot water

  • Check your hot water temperature at the tap. It should be at 55° C. An extra 10 degrees could cost you between $25 and $50 extra a year
  • Rinse dishes with cold water rather than rinsing them under the hot tap
  • Stop the drips. Fix any dripping hot taps by replacing the washer or fitting
  • Wrap the heat in. If your electric hot water cylinder and pipes feel warm to the touch, they are losing heat. Insulate them by wrapping – you can get cylinder wraps from hardware stores.You can't wrap gas hot water cylinders
  • Ease the pressure. Around 80% of your hot water gets used in showers. Install an energy efficient, low-flow shower head and get a good shower without wasting water. This could save you up to $500 a year if you use a lot of hot water
  • Shower rather than bath. Take a shorter shower. If a family of four each spent a minute less in the shower they’d save around $100 a year.

More information

Notes:

[1] Isaacs, N,P (ed). 2006. Energy Use in New Zealand Households: Report on Year 10 of the Household Energy End-Use Project. Wellington: BRANZ.