Many people might not think to look at their showers as being a source of potential energy and cost savings. That’s unfortunate, because there’s money to be saved in the shower along with natural resources too.

Consider the following scenario: Here’s the simple math for a family of four each taking a 7 minute with an average water-saving shower head (2.6 gallons per minute, or “gpm”):

• 4 people x 7 minutes x 2.6 gallons = 72.8 gallons per day
• 72.8 x $.0015/gallon = $.11 per day
• 72.8 gallons x $.02 to heat it = $1.46 per day
• Cost per 7 minute shower = $.37
• $1.46 + $.11 = $1.57 per day to purchase water and heat it for showering
• $1.57 X 365 = $573.05 per year!

Here’s the math for the savings this family would see by just installing a high-efficiency shower head:

• 4 people x 7 minutes x 1.6 gallons = 44.8 gallons per day
• 44.8 x $.0015/gallon = $.07 per day
• 44.8 gallons x $.02 to heat it = $.87 per day
• $.87 + $.07 = $.94 per day to purchase water and heat it for showering
• $.94 X 365 = $343.10 per year!

So just by installing new shower heads, there’s several hundred dollars a year to be saved in water and energy cost. We’ve installed Peerless 76154 1.6 GPM Water-Amplifying Showerhead, Chrome units that cost us less than $15 – money well spent!

As you can see, hot water heating can be a major expense. As we aim for a simpler life, we’re aiming to use less water, and less commercially-provided energy heating the water. Stay tuned for our future posts about our attempts to heat hot water in some non-traditional ways!