On Demand: Hot Water Savings!

ENERGY SENSE
On Demand Water Heaters

When we implement new ways to save energy it means we also implement new ways to save money every day from then on. Hot water can represent a good portion of that monthly utility bill.

Demand water heaters heat water directly, avoiding standby heat losses associated with storage water heaters. When the hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels through a pipe into the unit. Either a gas burner or an electric element heats the water. Because of this, demand water heaters deliver a constant supply of hot water eliminating the need to wait for the storage tank to heat up.

For homes that use 41 gallons or less of hot water daily, demand water heaters can be 24%–34% more energy efficient than conventional storage tank water heaters. They can be 8%–14% more energy efficient for homes that use a lot of hot water—around 86 gallons per day. You can achieve even greater energy savings of 27%–50% if you install a demand water heater at each hot water outlet.

TAX CREDIT: To qualify, a new system must have Energy Factor >= 0.82 or a thermal efficiency of at least 90%.
Credit: 30% of cost (includes installation), up to $1,500. The credit is available for 2009 and 2010 only, on primary residence only and existing homes only.
Source: www.energysavers.gov