Times are hard for most people in this country. People are seeking to make ends meet, save money, and they are getting creative to do it. We are on the same wavelength. It's been a week since my husband and I decided to experiment by turning the water heater off at night. Our energy bills have been outrageous as power costs are rising, and we are desperately looking to keep the power company from sucking our livelihood away.
I have to say turning if off at night really hasn't effected my lifestyle at all. I was happy to discover that even if you turn the water heater off at night, the water will stay warm until morning and it only takes a matter of a half an hour or less to heat it back up. We do the dishes after dinner and then turn it off.
We have yet to see how much it will save, but it's worth a shot. Even if it's a little bit we will be satisfied that we did what we could to save money, electricity, and essentially mother earth by reducing electricity consumption.
Our water heater is electric so it is easy to switch off at the breaker. We also made sure our temperature was turned down to the lowest setting. I don't know how this will effect me in the winter when I want to take a hot bath, but for now in July I am having my needs met.
If you have propane or a gas water heater you may want to look into what it would entail to turn your water heater off as I have never owned one, but I read that it is definitely a money saver, even more than with the electric models. We will be looking to get a water heater blanket in the near future.
Having a strict budget is hard, but in all honesty I have taken it as a challenge, and every time I save a dime I feel like I cheated the system, like I'm a rebel! It's a good feeling. It's a sick thrill I get from saving money, but it's an honestly proud moment when I have the money in my wallet to see that my kids have more of what they need. We run a tight ship, but the pay outs are huge.
I will update with results.
I have to say turning if off at night really hasn't effected my lifestyle at all. I was happy to discover that even if you turn the water heater off at night, the water will stay warm until morning and it only takes a matter of a half an hour or less to heat it back up. We do the dishes after dinner and then turn it off.
We have yet to see how much it will save, but it's worth a shot. Even if it's a little bit we will be satisfied that we did what we could to save money, electricity, and essentially mother earth by reducing electricity consumption.
Our water heater is electric so it is easy to switch off at the breaker. We also made sure our temperature was turned down to the lowest setting. I don't know how this will effect me in the winter when I want to take a hot bath, but for now in July I am having my needs met.
If you have propane or a gas water heater you may want to look into what it would entail to turn your water heater off as I have never owned one, but I read that it is definitely a money saver, even more than with the electric models. We will be looking to get a water heater blanket in the near future.
Having a strict budget is hard, but in all honesty I have taken it as a challenge, and every time I save a dime I feel like I cheated the system, like I'm a rebel! It's a good feeling. It's a sick thrill I get from saving money, but it's an honestly proud moment when I have the money in my wallet to see that my kids have more of what they need. We run a tight ship, but the pay outs are huge.
I will update with results.