Hot water is no longer considered a luxury in houses. In fact, it is an essential item, allowing you to clean your home, wash, and complete various other chores. Cleanliness is essential to preventing the spread of disease, hence the fact it is no longer a luxury.
But, if you have a new home, how do you choose the right hot water system for it?
Types Of Water Heater
The first thing to understand is that there are various types of water heater:
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Gas Boilers
A gas system is generally the most efficient but you will need to have it fitted by a gas hot water system specialist.
Gas boilers tend to be direct heaters, they will heat the water as you need it, reducing the amount of energy wasted on keeping water warm for you.
In fact, they can be as much as 95% more efficient than an electric water heater.
Gas boilers also have the advantage that it is easy to connect them to a central heating system, allowing you to heat your home as well as the hot water.
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Electric Water Heater
Of course, not everyone has access to mains gas and you may not want the hassle of changing gas bottles on a regular basis.
This leaves you with an electric water heater. These will heat your water and keep it in a storage tank; ready for you to use. They will use more electricity because they are on for longer and need to turn on and off in order to maintain the water temperature.
However, you can reduce the cost of an electric hot water heater by utilizing natural energy, there are two main forms of this:
1. Solar Power
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of houses that have solar panels on their roof. This is because, although it can cost several thousand to install the system, the long term gain is free electricity.
You will need specialist help to ensure you have transformers, chargers and the batteries required to give you electricity at all times of the day and night.
If you’re planning on staying in your home for several years this can be a worthwhile option.
2. Wind Power
If you live in a windy area and are able to create your own small scale windmill you may be able to create enough electricity to power your hot water heater. Of course, there will be installation costs and you’ll need to rely on having enough wind.
The wind is unpredictable; this is why wind power is a much less common solution.
The Bottom Line
Alternative energy sources can help you to save money on your chosen hot water system. But, you will need to make a significant investment and you’ll have to be intending to stay in your home for several years in order to recoup the cost.
Natural gas is generally cheaper per unit than electricity and is probably still the best option for most new homes.
