Water heating efficiency

Cost: $15-30

Turn down the thermostat on your water heater to 120F or less, 110F is comfortable for bathing. Most water heaters come set above 120F which is hotter than necessary and wastes energy. Some heaters are set at 140F which can cause first degree burns in 3 seconds. At 120F serious burns take more then 5 minutes. Think about how much cold water you usually mix in for a comfortable shower. The water heater is sitting there all day long keeping that extra water hot for no reason.

Set the gas water heater to "pilot" or turn off an electric one when leaving home for more than a few days. There's no reason to keep all that water hot when you are not using it.

Wrap an insulating blanket around your water heater to prevent heat loss.  This simple inexpensive action will reduce standby heat losses by 25% - 45%. This will save you around 4% - 9% in water heating costs.