small steps, smaller footprints

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Now that you have familiarized yourself with the energy consumption of your water heater, you might find it easy to believe that insulating your water heater will also result in noteworthy carbon reductions. Similar to sleeping with a blanket at night, insulating your water heater will reduce standby heat losses significantly, saving you energy and money. If your water heater is new, it may already have sufficient insulation built into it, with an R-value of 24 or greater. Otherwise, there are a variety of water heater insulation options available for around $30, and you will need to ensure your chosen water heater blanket/jacket will work for the specific size and model in your home. Consult step-by-step installation instructions online. Additionally, it is important to have your water heater temperature set below 130 ºF, which it should be if you have completed the first Action, prior to completing this Action. In just the first year, completing Action 2 will save you more than enough money to cover the one-time cost of a water heater blanket. The impact of completing Action 2 is:

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