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Well, the temperature certainly is dropping here in Seattle! A nice, warm soak in a bathtub would be nice. But before we all bask in some heated water, might I provide some helpful tips for those of you who are thinking of replacing their current water heater.

Consider purchasing a water heater that has been ENERGY STAR approved. Did you know that ENERGY STAR is a program owned jointly by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that offers energy efficient products and practices for the everyday consumer? gascondensinghotwaterheater.jpgI will be honest with you. I had heard of ENERGY STAR approved products, but I was not quite so familiar with the program’s origins. Then, I snuck a peek at an amazing statistic from the year 2010 offered on the program’s website, “Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy in 2010 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 33 million cars — all while saving nearly $18 billion on their utility bills.” So, about replacing that water heater…

The following are the benefits one will experience from using these ENERGY STAR approved water heaters:

  • gas condensing water heater: trims your water heating use by 30% and you save about $100 from your natural gas bill
  • heat pump water heater: save nearly $300 annually on your electric bills
  • high efficiency gas storage water heater: around $30 per year is saved, also, if everyone in the United States invested in a qualified gas storage model it’s estimated it would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by one billion pounds annually.
  • solar water heater: annual hot water costs can be cut in half; can take up to 10 years to pay for it itself but the costs can be recovered more quickly by utilizing Federal tax credits; can prevent up to 4,000 pounds of carbon dioxide tanklesshotwaterheater.jpgfrom hitting the earth’s atmosphere; most systems last 20 years.
  • whole home gas tankless water heaters: save $100 annually on gas bills; heats water only when needed but allows continuous access to hot water; small in size and mounts on wall; has a 20 year life expectancy.

For more information about Energy Star rated products in general, check out this link. In the mean time, stay warm!