Cooperative Living April 2023 - 25

SMAR CONNECT
Don't Watch Your Money
Go Down the Drain
by Melissa Gaines, Contributing Columnist
Energy-efficient water heaters are a smart investment for your home
I
magine this scenario: You wake up in the morning, determined to make today
a good day. You spring out of bed, head to the bathroom, turn on the shower,
step inside and get an ice-cold eye-opener - your water heater isn't working.
Unless you're a big fan of cold showers, a broken water heater can turn a good
day bad in an instant. Major appliances tend to break down when you least expect
it, and repairing or replacing them can be a real blow to your schedule, as well as
your wallet.
But you can avoid a shocking shower by taking some time to plan ahead. Now
may be a great time to consider upgrading your water heater. There are many
energy-efficient options on the market that will warm you up in no time, while
also being kind to your budget in the long term.
ENERGY STAR
One way to ensure you are saving
as much energy - and money -
as possible is to look for the Energy Star
label.
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, the Energy Star program and
its partners work together to save
consumers
money on
energy
expenses
while also
protecting the
environment.
Products
bearing the
Energy Star
label have been independently certified
to meet strict EPA standards for
energy efficiency. The more efficient
an appliance is, the less expensive it is
to operate and the better it is for the
environment.
According to its website, since
1992 the Energy Star program has
helped save 5 trillion kilowatt-hours of
electricity, $500 billion in energy costs
and reduced greenhouse gas emissions
by 4 billion metric tons. You can learn
more about the Energy Star program
at energystar.gov.
co-opliving.com
HEAT PUMP
A heat pump water heater can help
reduce your energy usage. While
traditional water heaters use electricity
to warm the entire tank of water, a heat
pump water heater draws in heat from
the air, warms it further, and then uses
that heat to warm the water in the
storage tank. This process saves energy
and money, because the water heater
doesn't need to work as hard to generate
heat. Water heaters can account for up
to 20% of your entire energy bill, but
by using a heat pump water heater, you
can expect to save money each year.
SMART WATER
Technology is ever-evolving, and
Water heating
typically accounts
for 16-18% of
utility bills.
major household appliances have not
been left behind. Much like smart
refrigerators and washing machines,
some water heaters are Wi-Fi enabled
and use apps to let users monitor their
usage and control settings. For example,
what if your smart water heater springs
a leak while you're out of town? No
problem, the app will alert you and will
even shut off the water supply to prevent
further damage. Smart water heaters also
allow you to remotely manage other
functions like setting the temperature
and enabling a child safety lock mode.  For more, visit ee.odec.com/water-heating.
Did you know?
Even though manufacturers usually
set a water heater's thermostat to
140 degrees, most people don't
need it that high. By turning down
the temperature to 120 degrees,
you can save energy, money and
prevent scalding.
Hot take
One way to boost your water
heater's performance is to insulate
the pipes and the tank. By doing
this, the water will heat up
quickly and you can still keep the
thermostat at a lower temperature.
April 2023 ●
Cooperative Living ●
23
http://ee.odec.com/water-heating http://www.energystar.gov http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living April 2023

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