By Charlotte Lane, Chair, WV Public Service Commission
Welcome to Halloween. Should I wish you a happy or spooky holiday? It is that spooky time of year, and I have something scary to talk with you about.
You have been living with a friendly goblin. Your hot water heater is one of your largest utility expenses. In an average home, this one device accounts for up to 20 percent of the energy use and cost to you.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration says heating water for home usage is the second-largest expense after heating and air conditioning that a homeowner faces.
The Homeadvisor website tells me the average family of four has a 50-gallon water heater.
A gas unit costs up to $35 a month to operate, and an electric unit could be as much as $60 a month.
So, let me encourage you to think about conservation.
An average bath takes 36 gallons of water, washing laundry takes between 25 and 40 gallons per load, and a dishwasher can use up to 16 gallons per load.
Most tanks are set at 140 degrees, but you can save 6 to 10 percent of your home energy by reducing that to 120 degrees.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends the lower level. The chance of severe scalding is substantially reduced at that lower level. At the same time, that temperature is enough to kill bacteria.
Laundry can be done in lukewarm water. Using warm water instead of hot water can cut energy usage in half. I do most of mine in cold water for even greater energy savings.
Here’s a very simple one. Unless you really need the hot water, use cold water to rinse vegetables and other small kitchen items. Oftentimes, if you try to use hot or warm water, you have the fixings done before the heated water reaches the faucet, and you still have the expense.