Hot water - Saving money?

lisa_75

My mum always told me that it is cheaper to leave your hot water switched on all the time as if you keep turning it on and off it costs more money to heat the cold water up. Is this true? I am trying to save some money and want to know the most efficient way of heating water. Should I keep it on all the time or just have it on for a few hours a day? I don’t use a lot, just for the washing up and the odd bath at night (we have a electric shower).

Any advice?

Cardew

This has been covered several times on this forum.

It is an Urban Myth that is better to leave it on all the time.

If someone told you to leave a kettle on all day, or a saucepan of water simmering to save money you would be a liitle surprised. Extreme examples but same principle!!

Gal

Good Examples by Cardew.

Principle is the same. You should only use the water heating for a couple of hours a day. It will consume twice as much electric heating it. but compared with leaving it on all day its only a small amount.

Average water heating on for 2 hours a day - 6 Units
Average water Heating on for 24 Hours is probably closer to 30.

deanos

I only have the hot water on for 1/2 hour a day and that is ample for me and the wife and 3yr old all day, we might need to put it on for an extra 1/2 hour in the evening if we want a bath depends on how much washing up and hand washing we have done throughout the day

lisa_75

Thanks so much. I will put it on for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening.

It is good to know parents are not always right!

irnbru_2

lisa_75 wrote:

I will put it on for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening.

Depending on your usage 1hr might be sufficient to last the whole day.

Also check what temperature your water heats to. Somewhere between 60-70C should be sufficient.

Cardew

Gal wrote:

Good Examples by Cardew.

Principle is the same. You should only use the water heating for a couple of hours a day. It will consume twice as much electric heating it. but compared with leaving it on all day its only a small amount.

Average water heating on for 2 hours a day - 6 Units
Average water Heating on for 24 Hours is probably closer to 30.

Gal,
Where do you get those figures from?

I think with a lagged tank it will be nowhere near 30 kWh as the losses are relatively small.

As said above certainly do not leave on 24 hours, but I think the differences are actually quite small.

Gal

Cardew wrote:

Gal,
Where do you get those figures from?

I think with a lagged tank it will be nowhere near 30 kWh as the losses are relatively small.

As said above certainly do not leave on 24 hours, but I think the differences are actually quite small.

Just an average 24 hour usage based on a unlagged tank. They have consumption calculators where I work for dealing with people that have high bills.

Most of the time its there usage that creates it. The Figures are taken from average usage appliances. So not high and not the A rated low.

Really its for comparison purposes in this case - So not to be taken as offical usage but merely to point out the difference in usage.