Why you should use cold water more often at home

You may not hesitate to set your washing machine to the hot cycle, turn your showers up to a humid temperature, or scrub your dirty dishes under a stream of boiling water.

If you did, you would find that you probably don’t need to use as much hot water and could save energy and lower your utility bills. Water heating is responsible for more than 10 percent of annual residential energy consumption and utility costs, the largest share after air conditioning and heating, according to the Department of Energy. The average American household uses 64 gallons of hot water per day – nearly the amount needed to fill an average bathtub – while doing laundry, showering, washing dishes, and running kitchen faucets. and the bathroom.