When people are on the hunt for ways to reduce their expensive energy bills, most turn straight to shutting off lights when they’re not in a room, waiting to use their air conditioner until they are boiling hot, or may even avoid using appliances as much as possible. One factor that many people overlook that can have an enormous impact on energy consumption is the efficiency of their water heater.

Not a day goes by that every individual living in a home doesn’t use hot water, be it showers or washing dishes. Unfortunately, older models of water heaters can account for up to 30% of a home’s entire energy consumption. Not only do these units heat water at a much slower rate than newer models, but they are far more prone to malfunctions wherein homeowners find they need plumbing services.

New tankless water heaters avoid some of the problems that affect standard heaters. Rather than constantly using energy to keep a reservoir hot for use at any time, tankless heaters have the ability to heat water so quickly that they don’t even turn on until the hot water is needed. Only heating liquid for short periods of time rather than maintaining the same temperature 24 hours a day requires drastically less energy.

For homes that use 41 gallons or less of hot water daily, tankless water heaters can be up to 34% more energy efficient than any conventional storage tank water heaters. If you’re on the search for methods to lower your utility bill, hiring plumbing services to install a new tankless heater can substantially cut down energy consumption.

The longevity of tankless water heaters can also end up saving you money in the long run by avoiding the need of a plumber. While owners of storage tank water heaters can only hope to get a few years of life out of them, even with regular maintenance and repairs from plumbing services, most tankless water heaters have an average life expectancy of over 20 years. Over a few decades, the money an owner can save on repairs and replacements can amass to substantial savings.

Energy costs will likely only continue to rise over the years so preparing for that now could be a huge money saver. How do your reduce your energy consumption?