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Water heating can account for up to 18 percent of your household energy costs, the second-largest expense in the average home, trailing only heating and cooling.

West Florida Electric Cooperative (WFEC) is here help you find simple ways to keep your hard-earned energy dollars from going down the drain. These tips can also help extend the life of your water heater and prevent accidents.

Set the water heater’s temperature to 120 degrees. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, setting your water heater temperature too high can waste $36 to $61 a year in standby heat losses, plus more than $400 in overall demand and energy losses. This temperature is also safer for your family, preventing burns and scalding.

To adjust the temperature, unscrew the plate that covers the thermostat on your water heater and manually adjust the setting.

Take shorter showers. Hot water is money, and every drop you don’t use is money saved. Shorter showers mean less work for your water heater and more hot water for the next person.

Wash clothes in cold water. Washing clothes in cold water can reduce energy use by more than half. If you are concerned about using the cold setting, newer detergents contain enzymes that work just as well in cold water. Cold temps are also gentler on clothes and helps protect them from fading, bleeding, and shrinking.

Give your water heater a vacation. Turn off your water heater when no one will be home for an extended period of time. You can just flip its switch off in the breaker box. 96168001

Use faucet aerators and low-flow shower heads. Using less water means you’re using less hot water. You can achieve savings of 25 to 60 percent by installing these low-flow fixtures.

Helping you reduce energy use and improve your home’s efficiency is one of the things WFEC, your locally owned and operated electric cooperative is here to help you do.