The French consume an average of 50 liters of hot water per day, according to TotalEnergies. The water heater represents, thus, a big expense on the household energy bill.
According to the Ecological Transition Agency (ADEME), this essential device represents up to 15% of the energy expenditure of a household. Because the water heater not only uses energy to heat the water, but also to prevent the proliferation of bacteria and the formation of limescale.
But difficult, for all that, to do without it, especially in winter… So, in an attempt to save some money, some decide to turn off their water heater during the day, for example, or when they are sure not to utilize. But is it really a good idea?
Not that much, explains Femme Actuelle. Indeed, “heating water that has cooled consumes even more energy than keeping it at temperature”. Above all, it will take an average of five hours of work for your device to return the water to a normal temperature.
Turning off your water heater temporarily and all the time could therefore be counterproductive, and very impractical.
On the other hand, it is advisable to turn off your device during long absences. Understand, beyond several days.
Femme Actuelle specifies that after four days, on average, “the amount of energy needed to restart your water heater is counterbalanced by the savings you make by leaving it off”.
But this duration may vary depending on the model of your water heater. Thus, it is estimated that older models, which are very energy-intensive, will need more than four days to balance the scales.
Finally, if you have a recent water heater at home, consider the programming option if you are going on vacation. In this way, you can take a hot bath without waiting when you get home, while achieving considerable energy savings.
