Saving Energy on Water Heating

You can reduce your water heating costs by simply lowering the thermostat setting on your water heater. A 60ºF reduction in water temperature can save over 50% in energy costs.

Most households only require 120ºF to 125ºF water for dish-washing, laundry and showering. These temperatures also destroy any bacteria within the water. Water heated at 130ºF to 180ºF poses a safety hazard—scalding.  Every gallon of water heated to 180ºF must be mixed with 0.86 gallons of water at 50ºF to achieve a mixed temperature of 110ºF.  Why heat water up only to dilute it with cold water later?

For more information, see our report: Saving Energy on Water Heating



The New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) month-end settlement price for May was $4.155 per mcf, down from $4.271 at the end of April.  This means that Dominion East Ohio’s (DEO) Standard Choice Offer (SCO) rate will be $5.355 per mcf for the month beginning on June 16.

Based on the most recent information on the PUCO’s Apples to Apples website, marketers are not offering one-year fixed rate contracts for less than $7.30 per mcf.  At this time, we recommend staying with DEO’s variable SCO rate if you have not locked in with another supplier.