Water Heater Timer Switches Can Help Throw Cold Water on Rising Electricity Bills
Chuck Ross
If I were to ask you which home appliance uses the most electricity, you might turn first to the refrigerator (after the central air conditioning unit, that is). Ten or so years ago, you might have been right, but improved energy efficiency standards have bumped refrigerators down a notch in a home’s electricity usage. Today, electric hot water heaters occupy the top spot, and with electricity rates climbing, an electrical contractor’s clients might be looking for ways to economize on their water heater’s operation.
One obvious way would be to look for a new water heater, altogether. Natural gas on-demand water heaters and hybrid heat-pump electric water heaters are both significantly more expensive than the traditional 50-gallon electric units most folks use. That’s a bit investment, though, especially if the model currently installed has years of life left in it. An alternative solution could be to add an electronic water heater switch.
Today’s electronic switches offer a range of money-saving advantages – especially when you consider the cost of keeping 50 gallons at 120 degrees Fahrenheit 24 hours day, when it might only be needed three or four hours. The time switches can be programmed in multiple ways, including:
This might seem a bit complicated, given the amount that might be saved today, but changes in how electric utilities set their rates could make savings much more significant, moving forward. Utilities are increasingly turning to time-of-use rates – these are already in place in California, where kilowatt-hour costs go up during the 4 pm to 9 pm peak period. Other states are looking at similar rate plans to limit the need for more peak-demand generation that’s only needed a few hours each day.
One obvious way would be to look for a new water heater, altogether. Natural gas on-demand water heaters and hybrid heat-pump electric water heaters are both significantly more expensive than the traditional 50-gallon electric units most folks use. That’s a bit investment, though, especially if the model currently installed has years of life left in it. An alternative solution could be to add an electronic water heater switch.
Today’s electronic switches offer a range of money-saving advantages – especially when you consider the cost of keeping 50 gallons at 120 degrees Fahrenheit 24 hours day, when it might only be needed three or four hours. The time switches can be programmed in multiple ways, including:
- Repeat daily scheduling
- 5-day workweek scheduling
- Weekend scheduling
- Individual, day-by-day scheduling
This might seem a bit complicated, given the amount that might be saved today, but changes in how electric utilities set their rates could make savings much more significant, moving forward. Utilities are increasingly turning to time-of-use rates – these are already in place in California, where kilowatt-hour costs go up during the 4 pm to 9 pm peak period. Other states are looking at similar rate plans to limit the need for more peak-demand generation that’s only needed a few hours each day.
Photo courtesy of Intermatic
