Most households get their domestic hot water for washing dishes and clothes, bathing and cooking from a water heating system. Some energy efficient hot water systems can be directly compared to others of the same fuel type owing to the government-backed rating standard. Water heating accounts for a quarter of typical household energy use – and it can be even more.
The most efficient systems available, solar boosted home hot water systems are generally boosted by either gas or electricity but use radiant heat from sunlight as the energy source. Such products produce hot water throughout the year, reduces carbon footprint, and lowers energy bills. After the initial purchase and installation cost, the future hot water is almost free.
Tank systems are a more efficient option for households with four or more people. LPG is roughly on par with natural gas in terms of environmental impact, although it costs more. Heat pump technology ranks above electric storage in terms of efficiency but it still uses electricity and makes a higher contribution to greenhouse gas emissions than gas in most cases. Geothermal systems also use similar technology.
Electric tank systems running on electricity from non-renewable sources are inefficient. These systems are currently the target of a federal phase-out. Continuous flow electric systems are slightly more efficient too, but they're uncommon because they're expensive to run – and they usually require three-phase power too.
It's worth reviewing the hot water use well before the current system dies and then checking out the alternatives. Reducing hot-water consumption saves on the consumers' expenses. Another alternative is switching to hot water systems (HWS) that's more cost-effective and kinder to the environment. However, regulations aimed at reducing energy consumption now mean that an electric storage system is not an option for many homes.
