Most of the energy used by the water heater is to heat the water. To save
energy one needs to reduce hot water use. Low flow shower heads, only
running a full dishwasher, colder water selection on washing machine, etc.
Turning down hot water temperature may help. Not so easy in the winter when
incoming water is below 40. Thus if your hot water is 120, to take a shower
at say 105, something like 80% of the water is hot water. Even with low
flow (2.5 gal/min) shower heads a 20 minute shower will use close to a tank
of hot water. I have two long haired daughters, you know the story here,
they each would like to take a half an hour shower one after the other.
Trying to convince them 10 minutes is plenty of time isn't so easy. Keeping
the hot water temperature at 120, so they have be quicker does the trick
although I get an occasional scream of "Dad the shower's getting cold!"


"geezer" wrote in message
...
What with the escalating cost of electricity, it strikes me maybe I
can save some bucks by putting a timer on my hot water heater.
I could set it to heat HW only when needed (assuming Frau and I can
regulate our needs). Certainly it could be off, say, midnight to
wake-up. Maybe I am dreaming here?

I wonder:
(1) Do they make 220V timers? Are they expensive?
(2) Would I save enough to make it worthwhile? After all, there is
the cost of the timer as well as insulation to wrap to HWH itself.
(3) I would think it would consume more electricity to re-heat the
water each cycle as opposed to maintaining the heat, once hot. Am I
wrong?

Thanks

Geezer