Action - Lower water-heater temperature
20% of members are reducing their footprint with this action!
In the average home, the hot water heater is set much higher than is necessary or desired. Many homes have it set well over 55C or 140F but water this temperature is never actually used. In the shower or sink it's normally mixed with cold water. Most people are happy with water under 45C or 120F, which will save a good amount of CO2 emissions and money.
Known benefits and costs
| Annual CO2 Savings | 200 - 300 kg |
|---|---|
| 440 - 660 lbs | |
| Annual Cash Savings | $15 - $30 |
| Initial Cost | $0 - $0 |
| Time to pay for itself | 0.0 - 0.0 years |
| CO2 saved per year per initial dollar invested | 200.00 - 300.00 kg |
* These value ranges were taken from many sources including product documentation, published reports, and the reference material linked here.
Related Information
| Calculate my impact with this action | |
| Related links |
Recent Related Links
Links that were recently submitted related to this solution
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The most meat-loving nations would have healthier citizens and also would reduce carbon emissions, scientists said.
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Collection of interesting stats on our use of trees and paper.
Vegetarianism as a Sometimes Thing
Interesting thoughts on reducing meat consumption to lower footprint
In Depth: Phantom Energy
Real measurements of the energy use of household appliances to track the biggest wasters.
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A good step by step guide on reducing energy use in the house, with measured results.
Leaving PCs on overnight costs companies $2.8B a year
A recent study showed how much energy is wasted, and CO2 emitted, due to unused work computers at night.
Making the right choices to reduce water footprint
Great graphic showing the relative amount of water used by various actions and foods.

