Water and power savings easily achievable

During a year, one-third of household energy is used to heat water.

So over summer, when little is spent on home heating, most of our energy costs come from heating water.

To save energy and money over summer, start by looking at your hot water system.

For most households, it’s easy to find ways to conserve hot water without cutting out luxuries like baths and long showers.

First, check your shower’s flow rate.

Do this by running your shower into a measuring jug for six seconds.

Multiply the measure by 10 to give your flow rate per minute.

You can get a great shower from a modern three-star shower head, which uses only eight litres of water a minute.

In contrast, most high pressure showers I test use 12 litres or more a minute.

With a flow rate of 12 litres a minute, a family of four with electric hot water can save $350 per year – and more than 40,000 litres of water – simply by spending $200 on a better shower head.

And with instant gas hot water, savings would be about $130 per year or more. I see instant gas water with flows of 24 litres per minute – triple the recommendation.

Also, check that all your sink taps have aerator discs.

Aerators add air to the exiting tap water, and can halve your water use from taps – and they cost only about $10.

If you’re on low-pressure hot water, or have older-style taps, use the cold tap when using water for short bursts. That way, you won’t fill the pipes with hot water that is then wasted.

If you’re replacing a hot water system, it’s a great time to invest in modern technology.

Hot water heatpumps work well in Wellington, especially for larger households, and can easily lower your hot water costs by twothirds.

For smaller households, consider changing to night-rate electricity.

It’s far cheaper than standard electricity and better for the environment too.

Column courtesy of the Sustainability Trust, which provides impartial energy assessments, phone 0508 787824 or see www.sustaintrust.org.nz.