Geyser Use: How to Reduce Energy Consumption and Save

Hot water usage naturally increases when it’s colder outside, but with increasing tariff hikes, this extra usage could hurt our pockets. And with electric geysers already being one of the main household electricity consumers, there’s even more reason to find ways to save on those ever-increasing electricity bills.

Franke shares tips on how to reduce your electric geyser’s energy consumption…

1. Insulate your geyser

Each day, a small amount of heat dissipates into your electric geyser’s surrounds, which results in gradual cooling. Although this cooling is minimal, it causes your geyser’s heating element to activate throughout the day in an attempt to maintain a set temperature.

This heating element doesn’t require much electricity when it activates, but having a geyser that is poorly insulated will cause it to activate more often. This collective electricity consumption can start adding up.

Because geyser blankets help with insulation, they can keep your electric geyser warmer for longer, and prevent the heating element from activating as often.

Another way to minimise heat loss would be to cover the pipes by placing pipe lagging or insulation on the hot water pipes of the geyser. These are available from your local plumbing or hardware store.

Geyser blankets and pipe insulation are worth buying as they are known to save up to 20% of the electricity needed to reheat your water.

2. Turn down your geyser’s thermostat

Most electric geyser thermostats are set to temperatures that are higher than necessary. Of course, the higher the temperature, the more electricity is required. You can turn your thermostat down to 60°C to help save electricity.

3. Only use what’s needed

Rather use cold water to wash your hands or brush your teeth, and take short showers instead of baths. The less hot water you use, the more electricity you save.

4. Change your showerhead

Using an energy- and water-saving showerhead can help reduce your hot water usage by up to 24%.

Combining all of the above saving tips will drastically reduce your electricity bills. However, buying the right geyser will help you save even more.

If you’re looking for an energy-efficient geyser, then you should consider a range of electric geysers equipped with a diffuser device, which assists in preventing the cold and hot water from mixing.

This device saves the heating element from having to kick in as often as it normally would, and so the running costs are drastically decreased.

Article courtesy of Franke South Africa