If you have a separate hot water heater to provide hot water for your home it just runs all the time. It’s like having a car idling in your garage at all times ready to go- whether you’re asleep, at work or on vacation it continues idling, keeping your water hot.
An intelligent digital setback controller turns off your water hater when hot water is not required, which can be a lot of the time, depending on your family’s schedule. It’s not uncommon to find that your water heater runs 50% more than is required.
Most modern hot water heaters have a good recovery time and will provide a normal amount of hot water in plenty of time if turned on an hour or so before needed. A commercial-grade digital controller unobtrusively follows your family’s normal workday and weekend schedule to provide energy savings with no sacrifice in comfort. Easy vacation overrides are easy accommodated.
In New England, it is uncommon for a family to spend over $700 annually for energy to create domestic hot water heat for each year with the hot water system running 24 hours a day.
Simply shutting your hot water heater off when it is not required can reduce the run time, for example, by 30% or about 7 hours in a 24 hour period.
Additionally it will save wear on tear on your water heater by reducing the number of heater cycle times while still adequately maintaining heated water in your boiler.
A 30% reduction is about 1200 KHW or over $200 savings per year at today’s CL&P posted rate of 17.8 cents per KWH. Most families see their investment in a digital, hot water controller paid back in 12 to 18 months after that they continue to save, year after year.