Whether you have gas or electric hot water systems in your home, your running costs will be influenced by a number of factors:

• The energy-efficient rating on your hot water heater

• How much hot water you use

• The rates on offer from your supplier - including off-peak

Even though Aussies are feeling the pinch with living costs and interest rates, it’s about to get a lot harsher with energy prices and delivery and service costs rising. All this will impact Australians when heating homes and businesses will be in peak demand for winter.

While you don’t have a lot of control over how much your energy suppliers charge for their service and supply, you can control some of your energy use, helping to cut costs.

Here are some tips to make small changes to your everyday hot water use which can add up to big savings over the long-term, even when energy prices return to normal.

7 Tips to Reduce Hot Water Costs

1. In Bathrooms

Reduce your shower time to under four minutes. You can further assist your water and energy savings with a low-flow shower head which gives the same feel as a regular shower (if not better) while significantly reducing the amount of water wasted down the drain.

2. Around Your Home

The sticker on your hot water heater will give you a star rating as well as indicate average energy consumption per year. This helps you easily compare the range and choices. While a higher-rated heater might be more expensive, you’ll save a lot of money in energy costs over the life of the system.

3. In the Kitchen

Use a dishwasher over handwashing. A dishwasher uses less water and the heater in the appliance is much more effective than using your home hot water service.

4. In the Laundry

When washing clothes, avoid hot water cycles as they can damage fabrics as well as eat into your power. Your machine's cold water wash settings are practical for everyday clothes. If needed you can opt for warm wash (30C), over hot.

5. On your Roof

Having solar panels can make a big difference to your home energy costs and help reduce your reliance on big energy providers. You can also look at options to sell excess solar back to the grid, gaining even bigger savings and helping to increase available energy for others.

6. With Professional Help

As well as small things you can do around your home and take into account with your next appliance purchases, you can also seek professional assistance and advice from a qualified, licensed plumber.

Ask how they can assist in reducing your hot water cost through:

• Regular hot water maintenance and servicing

• Assessing the right hot water heater system to meet your home requirements

• Setting your hot water thermostat to 60C

Different hot water systems suit different homes and meet different requirements in unique ways. With so many choices on the market and so many variables to take into account when buying a hot water heater, it really helps to have professional, qualified advice about your hot water system choices.

Make sure your next hot water purchase is an informed one to beat hot water prices and see real benefits on your quarterly bill.